


Humble and Worthy

by kettlepillow



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Enemies to Lovers, Evil Snoke, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Kylo Tries to Find a Wife, Virgin Rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-02-04 11:17:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12769905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kettlepillow/pseuds/kettlepillow
Summary: Snoke orders Kylo Ren to continue the strong line of leaders in his family by begetting an heir.The mission to find the mother of his child even reaches Jakku...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Star Wars fic. I hope you enjoy ~

Supreme leader Snoke hovered over him in his hologram form.  
Kylo Ren bowed instinctively. Through the narrow slits of his mask he barely saw a quarter of his master clearly.  
‘You called me. Here I am.’ His voice ghosted through the air with the familiar sound created by his mask.

‘It is time!’ Came Snoke’s thundering reply. ‘Your grandfather was powerful! The Force gave him strength and a son even more loved and hated than himself. Han Solo’s death does not mean that people have forgotten him. You are his legacy.’ Snoke gestured. ‘You must prove yourself worthy of the Force and give common people something to look up to. We must win our servants over rather than slaughter them all to the last child. They will build the new empire. Show them that the First Order means one thing more than anything.’ He leaned down. ‘Hope.’  
‘What is it that you want me to do?’ The word hope from Snoke’s mouth didn’t sound right.  
Something like a grin crept up on the leader’s features.  
‘Beget an heir.’

The very human part of Kylo Ren would’ve sunken to the ground to cry out in shock and frustration, were it not for Snoke’s tight grip on him and the steadying presence of the Force.

‘I-‘  
‘You are full of fear…Ben Solo.’ It was merely an insult to use this name.  
‘I worked for years to suppress every affectionate thought and weakening emotion!’   
‘But you failed so spectacularly. Your heart still throbs with pain when you think of all the people who died through your hands.’  
‘The pain faded when Han Solo fell!’

Snoke considered his student for a moment.  
‘I don’t ask of you to throw everything away I taught you. There is no need for you to feel anything. Anything besides the most primal of all urges...’  
Involuntarily, Ren felt sick and started to shiver from disgust.  
‘Rape.’ It wasn’t a question.  
He looked down and awaited Snoke’s confirmation.

‘There are many women who would feel very honoured to have the child of their emperor.’ 

~~~~

Snoke’s words lingered in his mind like a terrible headache. Even late at night as Ren’s restless thoughts kept him awake.  
At times like these when the supreme leader filled every crack in his soul with numbing speeches about power, he did not feel like an emperor at all. He felt weak in the shadow of such a presence and helpless when it came to the voice in his head.  
Ren managed to push Snoke out of his mind at times, but only if Snoke allowed it.   
He hadn’t been told what would happen if he refused to follow his orders. But from past experiences Ren was certain it would involve torture and loss of power. Without his leader the plan of finishing what Darth Vader started would be endangered. Risking to fall from Snoke’s grace was not an option.  
An incredibly deep longing for shelter fluttered through Ren’s mind. For a brief second he thought of Chandrila, Tatooine and the Coruscant all at once. The closest to a home he himself had ever gotten.  
Tatooine, the home of his ancestors. A wide desert full of light and warmth, just like Jakku where sh-‘  
He jerked into an upright position.

The supreme leader wrung every such thought from his mind. A feeling like having all guts clenched by mighty hands.  
‘Jakku is home to the force-sensitive girl you did not manage to kill. She failed to recruit Luke Skywalker for her plan to get trained as a Jedi’ Sneered the voice in his head. ‘If you must think such thoughts, let me help you see her as a useful tool…’

 

And with that Ren found himself in front of a broken down AT-AT in the middle of nowhere on a planet he recognized as Jakku. It was pitch black night around Ren and only a swift breeze moved his garments. He wasn’t sure if this was a dream.

He entered through one of the side walls and found a small living space with a low ceiling and makeshift furniture.  
Apart from some expensive looking newer garments and a big storage unit full of high quality food, which must’ve been provided by some of her new rebel friends, she seemed to have lived like this for years.  
Ren’s attention was drawn to a low bed-like pile of pillows in the corner.  
There she slept.

Taking a surprised step back he almost hit his head at the ceiling and stumbled before catching himself.  
‘Why did you bring me here?’ asked he the presence in his head.

Instantly, the sleeping body was pulled up, so that Rey’s spine was arched and her limbs spread away from the heaving torso.  
‘GIVE IN to your instincts!’ Thundered the voice.  
Snoke seemed to control her through Ren’s mind. 

Rey. He remembered vaguely.  
Her eyes tightly shut, she started to pant heavily and short waves of breath escaped her parted lips.  
Ren wanted to protest, convinced Snoke would torture her just to humiliate him in his state of confused compassion.  
The thin blanket slid off her silhouette to the ground.  
Wearing only a simple night gown Ren saw her moving chest and the outline of hard nipples as the fabric got soaked with sweat.  
Something inside him tightened. It wasn’t him doing this to her. Why was it not him?  
Rey hung in Snoke’s invisible grip, flushed and letting out sounds of unmistakeable arousal.  
Ren screamed as he watched her rush to an unconscious orgasm.  
“STOP THIS MADNESS!’

 

Ren awoke in his own bed.   
Heart racing, beats of sweat running down his temples and with a raging erection.  
Snoke was gone.  
He sat up and let out a primal roar.

It took mere seconds for a guard to enter his chamber, blaster aimed at an invisible threat.

‘Master? Is there a problem?’ He turned his face full of shame as he noticed the compromised state his master was in.

Ren couldn’t hold back a tired grin.  
‘Tell the good people of our capital to spread the word that their Lord is looking for a woman worthy to be his companion and give him an heir.’  
He felt the man’s gaze wander to his crotch again. His thoughts were evident.  
‘No, it did not just occur to me as I was failing to pleasure myself.’  
The man looked mortified and started to turn.

Ren stood up and channelled the Force to get full access to the guards mind.   
‘You will not tell anyone who does not need to know. You will not tell anyone that I screamed and what you found me like.’  
‘I will not tell anyone.’ Replied the man like in trance and left.

Ren listened to his own heart jumping against his ribcage.   
He had managed to ban Snoke from his head for the first time. Or had it been a nightmare? At least his shock and arousal were very real…  
Trying to calm himself, he closed his eyes.  
But instead of comforting darkness all he saw was the scavenger’s body winding and chasing relief.

Until he had found a suitable mate there would be no peace for him.  
It was time to take action.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey sat in the warm sand in front of her AT-AT and washed herself.   
No matter how often she bothered to clean, sand immediately returned to every pore and roughed up the exposed parts of skin.

Sometimes she wished Luke Skywalker had agreed to train a new generation of Jedi. Share his knowledge and bring hope to the people of the resistance.  
But without him, there had been no reason for her to float through space any longer. BB-8, Poe, Finn and the others had brought Leia home after Kylo Ren had killed Han Solo. They had tried to drag her along, but Rey was tired. Needed to think.  
Even returning to a broken war machine had felt like coming home.

The last nights had been filled with weird dreams and she had woken from the feeling of her racing heart trying to burst out of her chest. Once she had even woken up after hearing a man’s loud scream. She had jumped up, ready to fight, but there had been only darkness and her completely soaked body, dripping with sweat and other bodily fluids. Rey was still convinced that it had to do with her new connection to the Force. Somehow. She was terrified and curious.

Suddenly a group of silhouettes appeared behind a dune close by.  
Rey hurried to rinse the soap off and dress herself before the group of people was close enough for her to see in detail.

Unkar Plutt! The junk boss himself with his goons!  
Rey gasped in surprise, but it was too late to hide.  
The Crolute who had tried to steal BB-8 from her had already reached the AT-AT.  
His group had a waggon in tow pulled by a giant Happabore.

Plutt’s and Rey’s eyes met.  
The air seemed to be boiling with tension.  
‘If that’s not the little scavenger!’ Hollered he and came closer frighteningly fast.  
Even by using the Force she wouldn’t manage to take out eight people and a Happabore without getting killed herself.  
Internally Rey swore at Skywalker for not teaching her.

Her brain felt blocked, she prepared to fight. Still slightly damp and half dressed, that was.  
‘What do you want?’  
He mustered her body with a slightly puzzled expression before hollering on.  
‘This is a trade route, stupid. However.’ He was now very close, she could smell his bad breath and bad intentions. ‘Finding you here, is a welcome bonus.’  
She tried to call for any weapon she could remember owning, but the solid AT-AT held in whatever was banging against the inside wall, trying to get out on her command.

Rey heard noises from inside the carriage.  
The weapons fell to the ground as she focussed her powers on entering Unkar Plutt’s mind.  
‘You will tell me what’s inside this carriage, now.’   
‘Human females.’ Said Plutt prompt.

Rey failed to hide her surprise and stared at him then back at where the shouts grew louder.  
‘You’re a junk dealer!’ She hissed in disbelief.  
The other seven men were awfully close now, too. Ready to attack her at the slightest sign.  
‘Dealing with flesh is much more lucrative when the First Order is rewarding you.’ Unkar Plutt seemed pleased.

Rey could’ve searched his mind for all the details of this rather strange revelation but she was too distracted and outraged by the screams from the carriage and Plutt being so close and unbothered.  
She kicked him in the chest by jumping up and ramming the heel of one foot into the centre of his ribcage. He was a barrel of a beast and would be back on his feet in no time.  
Keeping two of the goons at bay through the Force didn’t stop the other five to grab her at once and press her struggling body to the ground.

‘No! NO! Get off!’ She cried out and wound like an eel.  
‘Bind her hands and feet! Into the carriage with her. Let the First Order deal with this cunt!’ Yelled Unkar Plutt somewhere above Rey.

Rey was thrown into the metal carriage bundled up and almost unable to move a muscle.

Inside it was completely dark.  
For an awful moment Rey thought she was alone and the screams had just been another construct of her fried brain.

‘Hello.’ Came a soft voice.  
Rey spat out some sand.  
‘Hello.’ She croaked.  
‘We heard what happened. We’re ten women from Niima Outpost.’

‘I’m Rey. Scavenger and failed rebel.’ Rey couldn’t hold back the sarcasm.

‘Is that why he picked you?’ Asked another voice.

‘He ‘picked’ me because he’s an asshole and happened to come by my home... I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you out of here.’ She struggled to sit up.

‘I have decided to make the most of it.’ Came a third voice. Someone hummed. ‘I heard that Coruscant is quite a sight.’

Rey felt panic rise inside her.  
‘What? Wait-‘She took a shaky breath. ‘What??’

There was insecure shuffling. No response.  
‘We’re not going to some slave market then, are we?’ Rey forced her pulse to calm.

‘Servants of the First Order came to Niima and told everyone that ‘the young Emperor wishes to choose a humble and worthy wife’.’

Silence.

‘I’m the daughter of Jakku’s senator. My father gave me away, fearing that Jakku might get destroyed if there were no women provided to the First Order. After seeing what they were capable of…’

‘I’m a merchant’s daughter. Unkar Plutt wants his possessions. He stole me last night.’ Said another voice sadly-

Rey heard every single one of them telling the story of how they had ended up amongst the ‘humble and worthy’.  
She hoped to the maker that no one would ask about her heritage.  
The rebellion had failed these women. The mighty grip of the First Order would choke Jakku and everything they loved to death.

Rey wished she had it in her to use the Force right now. Or at least physical strength to escape. All she felt was aching pain in every muscle and defeat in her core.

 

‘So who’s that emperor?’ She managed.

‘His name is Kylo Ren.’


	3. Chapter 3

Kylo Ren stood on the balcony of his palace and watched the merchant ships enter the sky above the city like pilgrims.

It had been two days since the announcement that he was interested in finding a mate.  
Almost immediately the ships had started to pour in, hoping to be rewarded for delivering the new Empress.

The women were blurry silhouettes in the distance before being ushered into the medical wing for thorough examination. Ren couldn’t risk any women with infections to come near him. Even a sneeze could be lethal if the illness came from a different planet.

A strange feeling of discomfort crept up on him. They were so many. All of them gifts given out of fear. Those who did not meet the criteria thrown away as workers without rights or worse.  
What if they swore to kill him? Were they happy to get to see Coruscant in its sparkling glory and wealth? It was unlikely.  
He needed to see, to understand. Wanted to learn what the procedure for selecting an empress was. His approval was key, but the ritual of selection was as old as the Empire and nothing the elders had bothered him with.

 

Ren put on woollen uniform trousers and a matching jacket. After putting on the typical peaked cap he looked like a common unit commander of the First Order.

Once in the hallway he walked confident and fast. Nobody had seen his face in these corridors. The weight of his lightsaber was comforting by his side.  
Some confused thoughts drifted in his direction. Curiosity. Irritation. Ren channelled the Force to make them disappear and his face long forgotten before he turned a corner.

As he entered the medical centre the first thing he saw was the long line of women cramped into the building. It was not a small hall by any means, yet the number of people made it appear to be tiny.  
Ren cautiously moved forward, unseen in the middle of the crowd.  
He positioned himself close to the women registering the new arrivals. They looked like nurses but with the facial expression of a general.

‘Name?’ Asked one of them.  
The petite girl flinched.  
‘El..Elara Beltaq, madam.’  
‘Virginal or impure?’

Ren could see the girl’s eyeballs bulge out of their sockets.  
‘Impure, madam? I don’t understand-‘

‘Oh, I think you do sweetheart.’ Came the tired reply. ‘Take her away!’ An assistant nurse ushered the girl out of the room.

It was quite a surprise to Ren that this question had been asked. He had not given instructions on it. To him it was self-evident that an Empress-to-be could not be a common whore. 

The next woman had a blue complexion, was about two meters tall, with large eyes without lashes.  
‘Take her away!’ Yelled the nurse at first glance.  
“What? Where are you taking me?’  
The nurse ignored her.

Ren realized that even humanoid species had made their offerings to the First Order. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought of presenting a humanoid candidate to Snoke.  
Given the strict criteria of selection, only a small number of women would make it to the next step of the process.

He let his gaze wander through the hall. Most offerings were young, petite and completely terrified. 

‘Name?’  
‘Rey.’  
The nurse sighed.  
‘Just Rey?’  
‘Yes.’  
‘Virginal or impure?’  
‘Pardon?’  
‘Did you ever have intercourse?’

Silence.

‘Did a man. Ever penetrate. You?’ The nurse asked like Rey was hard of hearing.

‘Not that I’m aware of.’ The girl replied slowly and with narrowed eyes.

Ren’s heart had almost escaped through his throat.  
She looked tired and sweaty and like she was hardly hiding her fear. Trying to enter her thoughts would’ve given him away. Ren was dying to know why of all people in this galaxy, Rey had been brought here as a tribute to the Empire.  
A scavenger. A rebel. A Force-sensitive rebel without family.

He had already penetrated her mind and entered her home. Now, it was in the nurse’s hands whether or not Rey would enter his life once again.  
Ren heard the pulse in his ears. Without Snoke, there was nothing suppressing his emotions.

‘Thara, take the young Lady to a vacant chair.’

Another assistant nurse came running and led Rey away.  
The scavenger had a determined look on her face. Jaw set, ready to fight for her life. But she didn’t resist.

 

‘Where are you taking her?’ Ren stood in front of the stern looking nurse.

‘If you plan on getting some sweet love from her before anyone else does, your head will roll before your balls are empty.’

Ren was completely stunned by the lack of respect the old woman had. There was sadly no time nor purpose in risking his cover to punish her.  
He entered the nurse’s mind with a grim smile.  
‘Where are you taking her?’

A flood of images rushed over Ren. He stared. Then remembered to inhale and turned around. 

Running after Rey wasn’t an option. Ren started walking fast, hoping that no one would follow him.

 

He found the room she was in without a problem. Loud noise was pouring into the hallway from it.  
A high pitched female voice was screeching, while several other voices responded with loud courses and the instruction to 'hold still and shut up!'

There was no way of him entering the room without causing mayhem. Many of the doctors who worked in this wing had patched him up before and would recognize him immediately.  
He waited. 

After a while the shouting stopped and it was completely silent.

Eventually the door slid open and a team of two nurses, a guard and a doctor walked out. They didn’t even notice Ren.  
‘Now she’s the instructor’s problem.’ Said the doctor walking by. ‘A bitch like that would probably castrate the Emperor with her bare teeth.’  
One of the nurses let out a nervous giggle.

They disappeared into the next room and Ren took his chance to enter the other one.

The chair was very similar to the one he had interrogated Rey and the pilot in.  
Just the ankle straps were placed further apart and it was moved into a half lying position.  
All restrains were tight on Rey’s wrists and ankles. Her head had fallen to one side. She was unconscious. It was most likely that the doctor had given her sedative. Her clothes had been exchanged for a simple white gown.

Why do we always meet when she’s either asleep or restraint?  
Ren pushed the thought away... Images of his visit to Jakku. He balled his fists.

They had tied Rey down to check her health, but more importantly, to confirm that she was indeed a tight little virgin.  
The tools lying around explained why Rey had screeched with such stamina.  
She looked physically unharmed, but sometimes fear alone makes one scream even louder…

While asleep there are no barriers for the Force to pass. The mind is at peace and lets it guards down to welcome whatever dream floods in.

Ren wanted nothing more than to search her memory for the events that had brought Rey here.

He heard footsteps coming closer.  
Very briefly an impulse of the Force waved over Ren. Rey was waking and her senses reached for the other Force-sensitive presence in the room. Him.  
He had to leave.

Rey moved in the chair as the footsteps had almost reached the door.

Like soft brushes of fingertips, Ren entered her mind.  
‘Sleep.’


	4. Chapter 4

Rey woke from someone dragging her upright by the wrists.

‘Wake up, little flower!’ Came a sarcastic snarl by her ear.  
Eyes wide open she recognized one of the nurses from earlier as well as a guard.

‘Where am I?’ Croaked Rey.  
‘The sedative worked almost a bit too well. What was in there? You slept like a baby. Time to get you dressed for the first lesson.’  
Rey vaguely remembered the events before falling asleep. The tools, the doctor between her legs. The cold metal. And someone else…A pale, dark haired-  
She tried to scream, but started coughing violently instead.

The nurse ushered her into a room that looked like one of the many rag picker’s shops. Except that the clothes, which covered every inch of the space, were very high quality.

A small droid came rolling from behind one of the piles of garments. Beeping and scanning he greeted the nurse.  
‘SU-45, take care of her and then send her to the classroom.’ She said.

Beeping.  
Rey was left alone with the droid that started taking her measurements before disappearing into the depth of the oversized closet.

‘What does SU stand for?’ she tried awkwardly as the silence became uncomfortable.  
Beeping.

‘Style Unit? Really?’ Rey grinned. While being scared of the things to come, she couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of some First Order engineer inventing a droid programmed to have good fashion sense and an idea of style.

She heard clothes fall to the floor and clouds of dust evaporated in the air.

SU-45 came back to her with a dark red gown made from durable linen. It had an emblem with the symbol of the First Order next to a v-shaped neckline. The sleeves were half long and had embroidery on them.

Rey had been gifted very nice clothes from Leia before her departure, but this was something different.

She touched the red fabric carefully.  
‘The colours of the Empire.’ She said more to herself than the droid.

Beeping.

‘You want me to try it?

Five minutes passed and she regarded herself in a mirror.  
Rey looked tired and frightened, but the red gown laid a veil of grace and self-esteem over it all.  
Still, she felt naked without her weapons and only flimsy slippers for shoes.

‘What does it matter?’, she thought. ‘I was sold as a cheap whore for Kylo Ren.’  
Reality hit her hard and even the droid noticed Rey’s changing emotions, trying to comfort her with compliments.

 

The classroom, as the nurse had called it, was a brightly lit room with chrome polished banks and tables.  
Rey sat down slowly, still getting used to wearing a dress. SU-45 had left and she was alone with two other girls…women…victims.  
They were equally overdressed and exhausted.  
More came in after a short while.

Rey had never been to a school or academy and had never been educated by an actual master.  
But if this was what it felt like, she would gladly die stupid.

After what felt like half a day, their master entered. Or rather, mistress.  
A very tall, blonde woman with ice blue eyes and uniform.  
She mustered them silently.

‘Ladies!’ She greeted with a hint of sarcasm. ‘I assume you all know why you’re here.’

A life-sized hologram of Kylo Ren appeared.

Rey shivered.

‘From now on, you are part of something bigger. Something life-affirming and beautiful. One of you will be mentioned in the great stories of our time, for giving hope to the common and the superior. One of you will bring balance and a future. One of you.’ Her lips twitched. ‘Will bear the heir to the Empire.’

The room was dead silent. Kylo Ren’s figure flickered slightly.

‘This. Is your reward.’ Said the mistress. ‘For all your struggles and endurance.’

Rey would’ve sighed in mock-disappointment, but she feared to lose her tongue.

‘The Emperor will choose one of you.’ The mistress took a few long strides. ‘Despite our thorough pre-selection of a handful of individuals.’ She looked at Rey. ‘In the end, it is all up to him.’

Something stirred in Rey. She was certain by now, that nothing was a coincidence. The Force was a part of her. Curse and fate.

The new hologram was a detailed picture of the human body.

‘To make sure that all of you, regardless of where you came from, know what the essence of your task is…’  
\---  
Many hours later, Rey was allowed to leave with the others.

They all knew now what human procreation entailed and what that meant for them as potential new wives of an Emperor.  
Especially some of the younger girls seemed traumatized.

Rey on the other hand, only wanted to sleep. Just for two minutes. A heartbeat.  
Her stomach reminded Rey that she desperately needed to eat as well.

 

Luckily, their next station was a dining hall.  
The served food was rich in flavour, hot and came in large portions.  
Rey stuffed herself with everything she was offered.  
Nobody said a word, they all felt the same- Glad to have made it this far. To be alive. To take in food and the prospect of a place to rest.

 

The scavenger and the other chosen ones were brought to a simple room with large tubs. Tiles covered floor and walls and a dozen droids hurried to run them a bath.

Sinking into the hot water released some of the tension in Rey’s very core. She listened to the girls around her starting to talk quietly and scrubbing each other’s backs. They had accepted by now that Rey preferred to be for herself.

‘Tomorrow.’ Rey’s eyes flew open and she searched the room for the person speaking.  
‘Tomorrow we will determine your fate…Rey. There are no more offerings to come. It is over.’  
Ren, he was inside her head, and yet it felt like he was right in front of her. She saw him clearly and was suddenly very aware that only water and a bit of foam covered her bare skin.  
His expression was without emotion. Almost like Ren himself was surprised by the turn of events.  
‘What is this? Get out of my head!’ She pressed out between gritted teeth trying to keep her voice down.

Kylo Ren had found a way to communicate with Rey over a distance. Look at her. Maybe even feel her.

Then there was nothing. Emptiness in her head and a taste of blood on her tongue.

 

She left the water and quietly requested to be lead to bed.  
To her surprise, one of the droids obliged.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

A new day came and Kylo Ren was determined to examine the offerings.

The audience was to take place in the great hall of Coruscant, where all other leaders before him had made the most important decisions of their time.

As Ren entered through the double door, beacons flickered and illuminated the crimson carpet he walked on.

He no longer needed a Supreme leader to feel strength within himself. He was now the one leading. About to rebuild an Empire, more glorious and potent than anything that had been before. He no longer needed the mask. Ren wanted the world to see his face.  
The figures at the end of his way dropped to their knees and awaited the arrival of their new hope.

The Force was with Ren.

He regarded their bowed heads and smiled.  
Finally, the universe bowed down before him.  
All elders stood by the altar, next to them guards with lowered weapons.

‘My Lord!’ Spoke one of the elders with a loud voice. ’Before you, we have brought the maidens, found worthy to be looked upon by your gracious eyes.’

Ren gave a benevolent nod in the elders’ direction and came to a halt in front of the first woman.  
He walked on mere seconds after, not even allowing her to stand up.

All elders looked at each other in worry and shock.

‘My Lord.’ Came one of their voices. Now very soft. ‘You did urge us to complete the search in a matter of days. If none of them are to your l-‘

The voice was cut off by Ren squeezing the man’s wind pipes with invisible fingers.

Ren stopped as he reached the third in row.

‘Stand.’ He said.  
The girl stood shakily and dared to lift her head.  
Blushing instantly she lowered her eyes again.

Ren knew that the one thing he needed was a willing partner to fulfil Snoke’s order.  
And there was a very simple way to find out if the girl before him would be such a partner.

Entering her mind was almost too easy.  
He saw her fear but also thoughts of him disrobed and taking her from behind like an animal. Tears on her cheek and pain in her eyes. She was scared to death.  
‘Pleasure and pain.’ He said. The girl started crying.

He walked on.

Every woman Ren took interest in, had her thoughts laying bare by the end of the procedure.  
Some felt pleasure at the thought of them together. Some thought about killing themselves before having to share a bed. They broke down in shame and terror and were brought away immediately.

The last one in row was Rey.  
Of course she was, thought Ren. She was apparently always waiting at the end of a path he took.

‘Stand.’, said Ren.  
Rey stood.  
She looked at his chest inches away from her face.  
‘Look at me.’  
She didn’t move.

Ren lifted her chin with a gloved finger.

Her eyes.

Ren felt like something had crumbled inside of the scavenger.  
She was sad and angry. Her eyes screamed with hate.  
Kylo Ren’s face was plain as ever.

He entered her mind.

There was a wall shielding Rey’s thoughts, as hard and high as the walls of Coruscant City.  
His mental grip was blocked with such force, that he had to step back and recollect himself.  
Ren understood. 

‘You’re still so scared, scavenger.’ He whispered.’ Even though all I want, is the truth.’  
He gestured like it was meant to be an apology.

She hadn’t taken her gaze off him once.

Ren stopped in his tracks.  
‘Maybe there is a way for me to see you as you are after all…’

Their eyes met.

His face was now so close that he could smell the soap on the girl’s skin. Dark curls, no longer hidden under metal, barely touched her forehead.

 

‘Strip for me.’


	5. Chapter 5

The sound of Kylo Ren’s breaking nose echoed through the great hall.  
It was more likely echoing through Rey’s skull, as she crushed the Emperor’s nasal bone with her forehead. But it felt like the whole world had heard it.

His blood ran hotly over both their faces before he was pulled away by strong, invisible hands.

Everything happened in a matter of seconds from there.  
Ren lay on the polished floor, watching the blood seep through his fingers, splashing on the ground like soft rain. The guards raised their weapons in alarm and suddenly the doors flew open, giving way to Supreme Leader Snoke and his red knights.

The girls were ushered outside by the elders, like they had been given a secret sign.  
Only Rey stood where she was and fought her racing heart.

Snoke marched forward with determination.  
‘Kill her!’ He ordered.  
The four knights attacked.

Rey’s raw fear for her life helped immensely with channelling the Force.  
The first two were pushed back by the sheer power of the wave, accompanied by a scream making the flames nearby flicker.  
Rey jumped forward and grabbed one of their staffs, the blade at the end glowing red and lethal.  
The other two knights attacked her in perfect sync. As she crossed blades with one, the other landed a blow, which cut her crimson gown before crashing into the floor. Rey felt blood trickle down her calf. There was no way she would be able to fight off her opponent, pressing his weapon closer and closer towards Rey’s throat.  
She dropped the staff and ducked away so that both knights collided. Rey was on them immediately, ripping one’s helmet off and pulling strands of hair away to expose his neck. She ground her teeth deep into his flesh and the man collapsed underneath her, landing on his fellow knight. The now buried red knight struggled to get out from underneath the body, but Rey was already there.  
With a swift move of the staff she beheaded both knights.

The staff in her hand started glowing and she dropped it in horror staring at the burned flesh of her palm.  
Rey knew she would be choked by Snoke before it happened.  
She was lifted and held in the air as her entire body was being strangled. Even droplets of Ren’s blood from her face floated.  
The lack of oxygen made her vision slowly fade. The last thing she saw was Ren’s expression of utter shock.  
She passed out.

 

Rey woke in a dark room with many beeping and blinking medical devices.  
She felt tired and thirsty, but mostly full of regret that she had survived.  
It took her a while to remember the events and what that meant for her future.  
From the moment Snoke had choked her, there was nothing but darkness as a memory.

Judging by her surroundings, she was still somewhere on Coruscant as a prisoner to the First Order. Living, breathing and awaiting her trial. Or death. Anything.

The door opposite to her bed slid open and a droid came in.  
It was the kind of droid that helped with surgeries and patient care when there was no need for a nurse.  
The droid beeped like he was surprised.  
Rey lifted a hand to signal that she was actually awake. She felt unprepared to move any more than that, let alone speak.  
The droid scanned her vital signs and exchanged the life-support suit she was in with a regular bed. She was lifted by the robot arm like weight meant nothing.  
And suddenly Rey was back in the hall, being lifted by Snoke.  
She screamed.  
The droid almost dropped her.

‘TRAUMA’ came the analysis from one of the computers.

The light was turned on, she heard ocean waves. The droid tucked her in like a child before delivering food and a hot beverage.  
Rey briefly wondered if Ren had gotten such a treatment before, after returning from battle maybe. She wondered why she was treated at all.

 

Hours passed. But then a place like this didn’t need a concept of time.  
The door to Rey’s room opened.  
Kylo Ren came to a halt by her bed. His nose looked healed except for a scar, right next to the older one on his cheek.  
Rey started shaking violently while trying to move her aching body to the outer edge of the bed.

‘Shhh.’ He lifted a hand as if to silence her. ‘Once again, you are my guest.’  
She wanted to reply, but nothing would leave her mouth. Not even a pathetic whimper.

‘Don’t.’ He said. ‘Don’t try to speak. Just listen.’  
Rey stilled ever so slightly and narrowed her eyes.  
‘I saved your life. You can thank me once your voice has recovered.’ He made a dismissive gesture. ‘Once you were unconscious the Supreme Leader was about to kill you, when I told him that it would be unwise to execute the future Empress like that.’

‘Wha-?’ Was all Rey managed to press out. Her face spoke volumes.  
‘Of course Snoke had already sensed that I was planning to choose you from the group of offerings. But now that you had broken my nose and proven to be the least cooperative, the Supreme Leader was determined to get rid of you.’ His piercing gaze met hers. ‘I said to him, that I had seen our future and that you would give in and stand by my side. Which is true.’

‘No.’ Mouthed Rey.

‘He dropped you and turned to me, saying that he would allow me to shape you into what I had seen in that vision. And if your mind would refuse to be reshaped, I should procreate with you regardless. Because nothing would be more of a punishment for you, than giving birth to the next Emperor.’

Ren went to the exit.  
‘I killed him.’  
He left without another word.  
\---

Rey’s body healed quickly, due to the good care of the medic droids.  
But with every day she knew the moment came closer where she would face Kylo Ren again.  
The one thing the droids couldn’t treat was her soul. They could only provide linen to wipe her face whenever she threatened to tear up.  
After a while, Rey requested to be brought outside on the balcony.  
She craved fresh air and the feeling of wind on her skin.  
Her gown was made from thin silk, barely protecting her from the night’s cold.  
Rey didn’t mind. The sky was of a deep black and stars twinkled peacefully. She imagined being back on Jakku. Looking up, while scraping together what little metal she had found that day.  
Those were the worries of the past. Much bigger problems lingered in the imminent future.

‘I see you are on your feet.’  
Rey turned around and nearly bumped into Ren’s broad chest.  
‘My Lord.’ She didn’t care to hide the sarcasm.  
‘And you are still ungrateful for my actions.’ Genuine disappointment was in Ren’s voice.  
‘Your actions?’  
‘I saved your life.’  
‘For your own selfish purposes.’

Looking her over, Ren’s gaze landed on one hardened nipple. Clearly visible through the delicate fabric.  
Rey noticed and crossed her arms awkwardly.

‘It is cold!’ She spat.  
Ren looked unimpressed. Wordlessly he took off his cape and put it around her small frame.  
She stiffened.

‘You should get used to my touch.’  
‘Never.’  
‘Why not?’  
‘You’re a monster!’  
‘We settled that many moons ago in the forest.’

The warmth of the cape lulled Rey in like an embrace. Ren’s subtle smell seemed to fill her every pore.  
She shivered.

‘Why did you kill your precious Supreme Leader?’  
‘I had no use for him after it was clear that I would become the new Emperor. I am in charge now.’  
‘But you still have use for me? If Snoke ordered you to find a wife…and now he’s dead…let me and the others go.’

Ren’s eyes seemed to widen only a fraction before he steadied himself again.  
‘Did I not tell you about my vision?’  
‘I will never bow to the dark side.’  
‘Snoke showed me the responsibly that comes with being the heir of Darth Vader. I cannot remain without kin nor empire if I want to fulfil my destiny. And the vision showed me an answer to that.’

‘Me.’  
Rey suddenly felt very tired. Since being a little girl she had dreamed of becoming a princess. Fleeing the dirt of Jakku and finding peace in a place full of light and laughter. But now she stood opposite to an Emperor and all she wanted was forget his proposition and get back to Jakku. She feared to face a life of slavery and abuse.

‘You are in no position to discuss these matters, scavenger.’ Anger flamed in Ren’s eyes.  
‘What am I then? A broodmare for the Empire?’

The sudden slap of his open palm made her ears ring.

‘I chose you! The Force connected us and showed me visions of our future! How dare you act like you don’t feel it too?’

Holding her burning cheek, Rey faced him unshaken. The feelings in his huge eyes were overwhelming.  
‘I feel sorry for you and your bad decisions.’ Said Rey quietly. ‘That is all.’

Her only hope was the Resistance. She had to contact them. Find shelter.  
But for now, all of their fate depended on the most powerful man in the galaxy. She had to do this right.

‘If I play this game and make people see me as your Empress, will I be allowed to leave once you have your heir?’

Silence. Rey heard her own heartbeat under the thick cape.

Ren’s mouth had opened ever so slightly, he seemed too stunned to reply.

‘You…you would leave our child?’  
‘YOUR child! YOUR heir!’  
‘Your parents abandoned their child, and you would do the same.’ It wasn’t a question.

‘Say it then.’ Rey challenged. ‘I want to hear it from you. Say what you want.’  
Even the stars above them seemed to listen.

 

‘I want you to stay and be the mother of our child.’


	6. Chapter 6

It took Rey a moment to realize that Ren meant what he had said. It was his way of asking for her hand. And so much more with that…  
The wind caressed her face as if to soothe her.

In a matter of seconds, two very different versions of her future flashed before Rey's closed eyes. The Force asked for a decision just as much as Ren.

‘I need a place in this world. I have pled for many years.’ She looked up into the night sky. ‘If this is the place the Force has lead both of us to, then there is a reason for that. So I might as well stay a while longer to see if there is some good in all this.’  
The tears in Rey's eyes betrayed her steady voice. She turned back to Ren.

Dark curls framed a face even paler than usual. His gaze followed one tear on Rey's cheek.  
‘I am not Snoke. That is all I ask of you to remember.’

She opened her mouth to answer, but decided against it. Instead Rey turned around to go back to her room.  
Stopping in her tracks she fumbled with the cape’s clasp.

‘Your cloak.’  
‘No!’ Ren said a little too loud and sudden.  
Rey's head shot up.  
‘It-' His eyes glistened with possessive pleasure. ‘Keep it. It suits you.’  
The girl slowly lowered her hands and swallowed the discomfort she felt.  
‘Thank you.’

Rey went inside. Despite the warm fabric, her body was covered in goose bumps.  
What she had seen in Kylo Ren's eyes and written all over his face was alarming. But she found something deep within herself that was aroused at the prospect of owning an Emperor's garment. A man who was not only very dangerous, but powerful and soon to be hers. Such a feeling didn't seem right. But it was there.  
Laying down, Rey considered throwing the cape to the ground, but she couldn't.  
It was beautiful, clean and soft. 

She pulled it over her blanket.  
There was the scent again. Not washed away by wind this time. Very subtle but too clear to miss.  
He smelled like nothing Rey had ever smelled on Jakku. Maybe exotic spices from merchants only serving the Empire. Maybe hot blood of his enemies. Maybe soap made from the black roses in his garden.

‘I am sharing a bed with Kylo Ren.’  
Her body rippled involuntarily at the thought. She felt nipples and cunt tighten and failed to ignore the slick slowly wetting her clit.  
\------  
Ren came to a halt so abruptly that General Hux almost walked into him.  
‘Sir?’ Hux was still not used to his commander without a mask. He searched Ren's face cautiously yet annoyed. ‘Is this just another attempt to delay the discussion about your decision to marry a rebel?’  
‘There is nothing to discuss. Now, if you would excuse me.’ Ren left Hux behind like a sulking child.

Rey.  
Ren hurried to get to his chamber and tried to rebuild the connection to her.  
What he had felt in the hallway was beyond his comprehension or expectations.  
Breath on his skin and the brush of tender fingertips. Very briefly. Glowing with arousal.  
Reaching out for Rey's mind was a risk Ren was willing to take, in order for him to experience such raw pleasure. 

To his surprise, her guards were down and her mind stripped bare before him. He hungered for every detail.  
Ren saw his black cloak now. It lay on top of an almost naked body. Her body. 

'I am sharing a bed with Kylo Ren.'  
Said Kylo Ren let out a rumbling moan. He needed to hear Rey's thoughts as she worked her own slick in and out of the sacred spot, soon to be his. Only and fully his to worship.  
He knew that Rey would shut him out immediately if he’d try to invade her mind further.  
So instead he only sent a single emotion through their bond:

All consuming want.

Rey's breath hitched right away. Head rolling, she opened her legs to accommodate an invisible lover. The cape was stretched over her spread legs and heaving hips.  
‘My Lord. You want to mark me with your seed?’ Eyes tightly shut she gasped. ‘Then it is my duty to accept it gracefully.’

‘Yes.’ Ren whispered.  
He heard the squelching sound of her fingers disappearing further into the hole desperately grasping for more, as she shuddered around them and pressed her face into the pillow to muffle any noise.

How he wanted to hear her. Every little noise of need.

But only darkness followed and she was gone.  
Ren sat in silence and tried to ignore the cum rolling over his prick still trapped in pants.

 

Three days later Rey had to face Coruscant's elite and the troops of the First Order.  
This time not on a battle field, but on the largest public place in Coruscant City. 

Her binding ceremony. Or marriage. There were many names for it in this galaxy.

Nothing could've prepared Rey for such an event.  
Not her lessons as an offering, not the elders visiting one after another the day before. Not even General Hux's grim stare as he was being forced to kiss her hand.

Three days were not enough time for a slave to become an empress.

Rey had lost her appetite, but as soon as her fiancé had heard about it, she had been observed by armed guards whenever food was served.  
She had no doubt that Ren would have her force-fed if necessary. He desperately wanted an heir. If Rey starved, so would his plans.

 

It was an unusual bright morning. Rey stood in the mansion by the white plaza of Coruscant and regarded herself in the mirror.  
She wore an all-white dress. It was supposed to symbolize innocence and purity.  
She thought of the night were she had pressed four fingers knuckles deep inside her cunt because of Kylo Ren's smell.  
Irony. 

A small flying droid put red flowers in her hair, which fell over her shoulders. A delicate crimson diadem held the veil in place.

‘Rey.’  
She jumped in surprise.  
He was in front of the door. Her groom.  
‘I am not allowed to see you until we meet on the plaza but-'

Rey inhaled and ground her teeth.

‘I just could not let you go out there utterly unprepared.’  
‘People have been preparing me for the last three days! At this point it feels like my whole life has led to me and you on that marble plaza.’  
‘I ordered them all to keep one thing a secret. I feared you would run. I promise, it was the last time I kept something from you.’  
Rey's heavy breathes filled her ears. She didn’t want to hear his lies.  
‘Spit it out.’

Ren hesitated.  
‘I will-' He searched for words ‘I will have to undress you and then dress you in the colours of the Empire.’

Before Rey could answer, the crowd started cheering as the elders took their places on the podium. There was faint music. A guard entered her room.  
‘It is time, Mistress.’

Rey wiped her eyes gingerly and cleared her throat.  
‘How do I look?’  
‘Like a bride, Mistress.’

She smiled bravely. Rey wondered what her parents would have thought of her in this moment. A small part of her still wanted to make them proud.  
Ren was no longer in front of the door. Only welcoming noise of the people of Coruscant and the troops’ frightening silence.

She stepped into the day light.  
The plaza was a large square of white marble with a podium on one side.  
Her shoes were so soft and thin that she felt the cold of the stone as she walked towards the silhouettes in the middle.

The moment Rey could make out Ren’s expression was the moment her world stopped spinning for a while.

It was just them. Staring in open disbelief.  
Ren drank in her sight.  
Rey’s brows slowly wandered to her hairline as she came closer. Eventually they faced each other.  
Ren looked celestial. Like a superior being. He wore a crown of the same crimson as Rey’s diadem. Jet black hair had been loosely braided and matched with a robe of finest dark silk. Rey gazed up at him with an expression of wonder. She flushed even more when she realized it was mutual.  
Ren looked like he had seen a ghost. A beautiful ghost. The ghost from all his happiest visions. More than once he had to stop himself from reaching out to Rey. He only remembered to fully close his mouth when one of the elders began to speak.

‘Today!’ The old man announced. ‘Is the day of the new Empire! Today we greet our new Empress and bow before our Emperor in new reverence! It is the day on which we make everything new!’

People yelled in ecstasy and the storm troopers gave their salute.  
The elder turned to Ren and tilted his head, continuing in the same loud voice.  
'By the grace of the maker and the Force, our lord has chosen his companion for a reign of prosperity and hope! I hereby ask him to give the emperor’s vow as it is custom from time immemorial.’

The audience fell silent.

Ren tensed. He saw his own insecurity in Rey’s eyes. Only for a heartbeat.  
He took her hand.

‘I promise to protect you through my own life or death. I shall treat you as an equal and the realm’s brightest star shall have your name. No man shall harm our kin, for it is my blood.’ He leaned forward to whisper the last part. ‘May the Force be with you.’  
Ren stepped back again, and reluctantly released Rey’s hand. 

The elder looked at them with satisfaction before continuing.

‘Your empress must wear your colours!’ He gestured. ‘For then she is yours.’  
The crowd cheered in anticipation.

Ren stepped forward again and tilted his head before reaching for Rey’s first button, ready to strip-off every layer of white innocence.  
‘I am sorry.’ He breathed.  
The next buttons proved to be more difficult since his hands were shaking.  
‘Here, let me help.’ Rey said. She wrapped her much smaller fingers around his and did the unbuttoning for him. Ren’s gaze was fixed on their touching skin.

As soon as all buttons had been opened the gown slid off of Rey’s shoulders and she stepped out of it.  
Rey faced the masses as on the day she was born. Bare. A chill ran down her spine. Sweat gathered on her face. The tension was palpable. Thankfully, her groom seemed too focused to look at her with an intense stare.  
Someone handed Ren a crimson red dress. All buttons had been opened so that it could be put around her shoulders without any more movement from Rey.

Carefully Ren started buttoning the dress from top to bottom. Achingly slowly he managed to close the last and rose to his full height again.

Rey was now clad in the Emperor’s colours. She was his.

Instantly there was excitement from the audience again.

Ren turned to them.  
Out of nowhere, he then pulled his light saber and held the glowing red blade high above his head, as if to slaughter the sky itself.

‘I am your Lord and beacon of hope! This is your Empress and my wife. I kneel before her, and so will you!’

Ren knelt down before Rey in one smooth motion. He laid down the light saber as a symbol, too.

And as Kylo Ren got down on one knee, so did all of them.

In that moment, the new Empire knelt at Rey’s feet.


	7. Chapter 7

After the ceremony, the whole day was a blur of greeting guests, food and music.

Rey hadn’t seen her husband in hours when she decided that it was time to go to sleep. She was certain that a wedding was more of a business meeting for an emperor.  
It slowly sank in, that Rey was now at the top of the First Order, which made even getting up and leaving the room an event.  
A butler pulled back her chair, several people in ball robes followed her to the exit and a guard asked if she was feeling well.

‘Would you be so kind as to inform the Emperor that I excused myself to go to bed?’  
‘Certainly, Empress.’ The guard bowed and hurried to leave.

Rey had expected to be at Ren’s side at all times. To be treated like arm candy or at least having to dance with him. To her surprise, there had been none of that. Now she went to bed on her own like the two decades before. Only that she was technically supposed to be led to bed tonight. She wondered if the breaking of protocol would have any major consdequences apart from Ren’s disapproval.

In her new bedroom waited a whole bunch of droids.  
They were taken aback when Rey entered alone.  
She sighed heavily and allowed them to undress her.

‘Master Ren is still out there somewhere. But it has been a very long day and I can barely keep my eyes open.’  
The droids seemed to discuss the matter with fast beeps.  
‘This is not the designated protocol, Mistress.’ Said one of them with something like insecurity underneath the beeps.  
‘I am aware. Thank you.’  
‘Would you like to change into one of your regular night robes?’

Rey looked at the silky white ensemble held by one droid. It consisted of a loose top made entirely from imperial lace and matching panties with a hem of obsidian pearls. It left nothing to the imagination. Tonight was the only night appropriate to wear something like it.  
‘No, please.’ She smiled. ‘I want to wear that. It is a work of art.’ 

The droids changed her clothes and brushed her hair. At the end she was sprayed with perfume of Jade roses.  
‘The flower of Coruscant.’ Explained a droid. ‘It is said to have the true scent of power and wisdom.’  
Rey felt more exhausted and stupid, but thanked them for their work before asking them to leave.

She fell asleep embarrassingly fast after that.  
Her sleep was dreamless and light. She woke when the bedroom door opened and closed again.  
Rey positively jerked awake but didn’t dare to move. Racing heart, she peeked over her cover.  
The silhouette by the door was tall, slender and seemed to watch.

‘It is alright. I am awake.’ Managed the girl.  
Ren stepped forward. His pupils were wide due to the darkness. 

‘Did I wake you? Apologies.’  
His voice vibrated deep in his core and threatened to lull Rey in like his cape.  
‘I should apologize for leaving early. But I was just minutes away from falling asleep at the table. Truthfully.’  
‘I should’ve looked after you. This type of event is not our forte, I would conclude.’

Without waiting for an answer Ren got rid of his gloves. The cloak followed.  
He stopped and turned to Rey.  
‘You looked…Today I mean…’  
‘You, too. They did a very good job with our outfits.’ She sat up and smiled. The cover slipped off her chest as she did so and revealed the delicate lace top.  
Rey supressed the urge to cover up again. Ren’s gaze was not threatening, yet more than intense. This was her husband now, she reminded herself. And she was probably very close to losing rather than getting cover.

‘What do you think?’ She tried. ‘I think it is quite special.’  
‘It suits you. Because it is beautiful.’ His features were still tense.  
Rey blushed.  
‘Maybe if you put on something equally flimsy, that would balance things out.’ Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. 

Ren pursed his lips and clenched his fists.  
‘I have thought about this so many times.’ He said in a low voice. ‘Rey, I am not nearly as perfect as the First Order makes people think. My body is-‘ He drew in some air.  
Rey got up and stood in front of him. She carefully took his hand and sat both of them down on the edge of the bed.  
His eyes sought to explain where words failed him.  
‘Your body is what?’ She asked equally soft. ‘Say it.’  
He couldn’t.

‘Ben.’  
His eyes widened and he let out a small gasp.  
‘Is it scarred from too many battles at a far too young age? Is it solid like a rock from too many hours of brutal training? Is it pale because it has not felt the sun in a while?’  
‘Yes.’ Breathed he. ‘I wished that even though you see me as a monster, you could at least call me a somewhat attractive one.’ He lowered his eyes as if to hide the scarred face.

‘You are no monster. Just as you are not Kylo Ren.’ Rey cupped his cheek and slowly traced her thumb over the larger of both scars. He flinched but allowed it. ‘I am sorry for this. Because I gave it to you.’  
‘It is a constant reminder of you.’ He said. ‘Like a permanent punch, whenever it starts to hurt.  
Rey closed the distance between them and her breath ghosted over his cheek.  
‘I wish I could kiss it better.’ She whispered.

And then she kissed it.  
Ben sat very still, processing the sensation of her lips on this most sensitive part of skin.  
‘Maybe you could try that with every scar I have.’ He said suddenly.  
‘And you with mine?’ She asked.  
Ben turned to meet her lips with his. It was no proper answer but surely a proper kiss.  
Rey broke it to take a few gulps of air, her hands fisted in Ben’s clothes. She started unbuttoning his gown hesitantly, then looked up at him.

‘Whatever is underneath all this, I feel like I could grow to love it.’  
Silence.  
Ben took off his boots without breaking eye contact. It made Rey’s skin tingle.  
He looked at her the entire time, until completely naked.  
Rey’s blood rushed in her ears like drums.  
‘Breathe.’ She said more to herself than him. Yet it was Ben who remembered to inhale.

His body was wide and muscular, like carved marble. Scars. At some points he was black and blue. His calves were like trunks. Belly flat with a thin line of dark hair running from his navel all the way down to his crotch. Rey avoided staring at his penis. It was proportionate to the rest of Ben’s body: Huge.  
‘What do you think?’ He repeated her question from earlier.  
Rey bit her lip and gave him a serious look.

‘You were right. You are not somewhat handsome.’ She took both his hands to pull him closer and sat back onto the bed. His hair tickled her face just like in the great hall. Only this time, she liked it. ‘You are perfect.’  
Ben’s face threatened to crumble but he caught himself and instead rested his forehead against Rey’s.  
The newly-wed couple breathed the same air for a moment and kissed shyly as if to confirm that they were both real.  
‘Rey.’ Ben crawled further onto the bed and dragged Rey with him as she had one arm curled around his shoulders. ‘May I… I know I already saw you earlier today on the plaza but-‘ He scented the crook of her neck and Rey could feel the shiver as a strong scent of Jade rose flooded his senses. ‘I would like to see you. Just for myself.’ His voice was like velvet.

Rey felt heady already, slick between her legs and flushed all over.  
‘Please.’ She pulled off her top and wiggled out of the panties while Ben hovered over her. Breathing and drinking it in with growing pleasure.  
His eyes wandered over her skin like he had not seen her before. She looked much more vulnerable now, wanton and…wet. He found a scar on Rey’s breast. And just as promised, he kissed it.  
Rey mewled and held onto Ben’s head.  
His lips wandered, as did his hands.  
‘You are so wet, Rey.’ He smirked against her heaving chest. ‘I am very flattered.’

‘It’s embarrassing how much I want you.’ She managed just before losing control again as a large hand slowly slid down her abdomen to rest on her mound of Venus.  
‘Do you think the desire is not mutual?’ He came up to give her a look and sat back enough for Rey to look at his cock straining flat against his belly. The red pulsing head smeared fluid on both of them.  
Rey thrust her head back like she was in pain just from looking at it.  
‘Oh maker. It’s-‘ She swallowed. ‘It’s so big.’  
Ben kissed her abdomen while inserting a finger into Rey, achingly slowly.  
‘It took all my years of training not to come all over you the second you laid beneath me.’ He admitted. Rey’s eyes were firmly shut as she accepted another finger. Her cunt fluttered hungrily, she started sweating.

He leaned in closely, making sure that Rey would hear as he whispered.  
‘May I take you, Rey?’  
‘You better.’  
Ben withdrew his slick covered fingers and tasted them without hesitation.  
Rey crossed her legs over his back to pull him closer.

‘Please.’ She huffed and tasted herself on his lips as she kissed him.  
‘I will hurt you.’  
‘I knew that when I came here.’  
‘Not in that w-‘  
‘I know. Ben, I know that. But I was chosen to give you children. Remember?’  
‘Everyone will know that you are mine.’  
‘Take me, then.’

He slid inside Rey with some difficulties.  
‘You-‘ Ben’s breath hitched. ‘You are so tight. Oh f-‘  
Rey’s head rested on his chest. She could hear his racing heart over the tearing pain overriding all other senses.  
After what felt like half an eternity, he was buried inside her to the root.  
Rey let out a groan muffled against sweaty skin.  
‘Move.’  
Ben first did not react, too concentrated on not instantly shooting his load as her tight channel engulfed every inch.  
Slowly he found a rhythm and picked up a pace. His gaze was foggy and sweat rolled over his strained muscles. 

‘I will not last.’  
‘Then move faster.’ She found his ear and nipped at the shell. ‘Please, my Lord. Let me conceive your kin. I am yours.’  
Her groaned and slammed into the untouched body with such force that her legs jerked with each thrust and she only managed hiccups of breathes.  
‘Yes.’  
Another.  
‘Yes.’  
Another.  
She felt tears on her face.  
‘So good. You’re so thick.’  
His cock seemed to grow further as he got closer to the edge. There it was, the beast that bred for dear life. Barely clinging to her small frame.  
She felt mellow in his embrace, as he finally stilled and came with a last claiming thrust. His exhale sounded husky and shattered.  
Rey shuddered around the coming cock and felt her insides stretch incredibly further.  
It hurt but in a way that was beyond all pleasure. Like it was all she had ever wanted.  
He did not move, the semen just slowly leaking from her as he pulled out.

She wanted to clean herself, but couldn’t move.  
Ben was panting beside her, but quickly remembered to see if Rey was still breathing.  
‘How-‘ He leaned on one arm to look at her. ‘How badly did I hurt you?’  
‘Very.’ She sniffled, shifting uncomfortably on the slippery sheet.  
He saw his own release mix with blood.

‘I am so sorry.’ Ben reached for her. ‘I lost control. I-‘  
She kissed his palm.  
‘I forgive you. Because it was also the best thing I ever experienced.’  
He seemed unconvinced.  
‘You didn’t climax.’  
‘But you did.’ She tried a smile and was relieved that it didn’t hurt.  
He rested his face so close to hers that his long lashes tickled her cheek.

For the first time in years Kylo Ren wished he could simply be Ben Solo.

Rey cuddled up to him and they laid in a bubble of peace.

Little did they know, that the Resistance fighters closing in on Coruscant were ready to burst it.


	8. Chapter 8

Rey woke from a loud bang against the door.  
She sat up in confusion and looked around. The room was still not familiar to her and she was freezing. Worse than that, she was naked and apparently also alone. The other side of the bed was empty.  
She covered hastily and cleared her throat.

‘Come in!’  
A guard entered and bowed.  
‘Empress. We are expecting to be under attack soon. The Resistance has send fighters and one cruiser. I have an order from the Emperor to lead you to a safe place.’  
‘Who is leading the operation?’ Rey stood and hurried to put on clothes. Luckily the droids were nowhere to be seen. They might’ve tried to do her hair.  
‘General Leia Organa, Empress.’ 

‘Leia…I need to speak with her. Take me to the bridge of this place…the central operating room. I need to contact that cruiser.’  
She was out in the hallway before the guard.

‘My Lady, if I ignore my order I might lose my life. Please let me accompany you to safety.’ The man seemed desperate.  
‘I am the Empress. Not a scavenger from nowhere. If my dear husband plans to kill you, I will have a say in that. And nobody is safe as long as General Organa threatens to attack us.’  
The guard still seemed terrified, but led her to the room as requested.

When Rey entered, the busy hustle stopped at once. Every single person stared at Rey like she was a newly discovered species, before they realized who she was now.  
Low muttering was mixed with greetings. They politely ignored her tangled hair and smell of the last night.

‘Who is in charge here?’ Asked Rey loudly.

General Hux appeared. He wore a smug smile, which matched his sickly pale features in a bizarre way.  
‘Empress.’ Said he with mocking politeness. ‘To what do I owe-‘  
‘Cut the nonsense, General. I need to speak with General Organa. Put me though.’  
He nodded but didn’t move.  
‘You think just because you spread your legs for Kylo Ren you can give me orders?’

His head hit the dark floor. Rey’s grip on him through the Force was tight. She loomed over him.  
‘Unless you, I am not Kylo Ren’s whore. Unless you, I have the power to break necks without facing consequences. Because I am Kylo Ren’s wife.’

Hux struggled for air.  
‘Yes. Empress.’ He pressed out and his pleading eyes held her gaze. She dropped him like hot iron.

‘Where is my husband, by the way?’  
The General lost his last dignity as he tried to stand up on the slippery, polished floor and almost failed to hold himself steady. Eventually he stood next to Rey.  
‘He took it upon himself to lead the hunters.’ His voice sounded hoarse from the choke.  
‘Have they started their manoeuvre yet?’ Rey failed to hide her concern.  
‘No, but all it takes is a word. We have been waiting for their first strike to destroy them.’ The sly smile was back on his features.  
‘Then let me contact the Resistance cruiser, at once.’

Hux nodded at the operator who set up the needed frequency.  
Rey was nervous. The Resistance expected Ben or Hux to be the one contacting them. Not her. A Resistance member and former pilot of the Falcon. She wondered how much they knew. Her voice sounded shakier than planned as she spoke.  
‘This is …’ something inside Rey’s mind clicked. ‘This is Rey Solo speaking. I kindly request to speak to the General.’

Hux flinched at Rey’s choice of words. A loud discussion started amongst the others.  
There was a long pause of nothing but silence, in which Rey feared that she had made a huge mistake.  
‘Would you be so kind as to repeat that?’  
Leia’s voice.  
‘This is Rey Solo speaking. I am glad to hear your voice, Leia.’ Rey smiled. ‘And I desperately need to speak to you in person.’

She turned to Hux.  
‘You will not give any new orders until you hear from me.’  
\---  
The airlock of the cruiser opened and Rey entered her old life.

She was greeted by Leia herself. Wearing dark robes and the updo hairstyle she had selected as her new favourite after Han’s death.  
Rey almost didn’t dare to approach her, expecting to be hit by blaster attacks at any given moment.

‘Welcome Rey. I am unarmed, don’t worry.’ Leia met her halfway and hugged Rey like an old friend.  
‘Leia.’ Rey tried very hard not to cry. Words failed to leave her mouth.  
The General looked at her with concern.  
‘Let’s go sit down in my cabin. I’m afraid all the men are getting their fighters ready. Poe, Finn…Had I known that…We were not exactly counting on the First Order’s diplomacy.’ She trailed off as they reached her cabin.

It took Rey a long time to collect her thoughts and calm her pulse enough to speak. Leia was more than patient and used the uncomfortable silence to feed her.  
Eventually Rey swallowed the last bite and took a deep breath.

‘How much do you know?’  
‘I knew that my son had decided to become sovereign of the universe and to marry some poor girl.’ She smiled sadly. ‘The First Order sent that message to the last hut on the smallest planet. When the newest information reached us, that Kylo Ren had taken a wife and all free galaxies are now his property, we knew that we might have to destroy Coruscant if necessary. I made the proposal to take you with us before such an undertaking, but I was outvoted. The others were convinced that you would be safer on Jakku and that there was no point in risking your life like that. They want you to survive this because you give them hope.’  
She took Rey’s hands.

‘What happened, Rey?’  
Rey couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh.  
‘A lot.’  
Leia nodded.

‘I was abducted and brought to Coruscant as an offering. Hundreds of women had been brought there already when I arrived. They have a brutal selection process and I was determined to flee…at first. But something in me gave in to the luxury eventually. And I went along.’ Rey looked down in shame. ‘I was exhausted.’  
‘I’m not blaming you, dear.’  
‘Ben found a way into my mind and I knew he would choose me. Either for torture or marriage. Or both. During the final step of the procedure, where Ben was supposed to decide, I disobeyed. Which led to Supreme Leader Snoke trying to kill me.’ Rey felt her heart starting to race again. Leia squeezed her hands. ‘Ben saved my life and killed Snoke. I felt like I was in his debt after that and stayed. I had planned to contact you, but the wedding was set almost immediately after I had recovered. And after that…Well. It was only yesterday.’  
‘I know.’ Said Leia. There was no judging tone in her voice.  
Rey started crying. Mostly from relief. Relief that Leia understood. Relief that she had made it this far. Relief to be alive.  
Leia held her in a tight embrace.  
‘I felt the connection between you and Ben. Our bond is still strong after so many years of battle. But I couldn’t determine whether or not you were physically close as well. Such a Force bond is not limited to people on the same planet. I was hesitant to interfere. Had I known, I would’ve come sooner…Or maybe Luke could’ve-’

‘I am not blaming you, either.’  
The younger woman sniffled and wiped her face.  
Leia seemed equally relieved.  
‘I have to ask you, Rey. As a mother.’ She pursed her lips. ‘How did Ben treat you, once you were…physically close.’ Sincere worry laid in her words.

‘He was afraid of me. But once we built a basic level of trust he opened up and I saw the broken man underneath the mask. It was mutual. Basic instinct of survival, I think. Snoke has brainwashed him into thinking that he has to rule with an iron fist. But in those short moments, I saw that there is still hope. I saw our future. I know that he’s not Kylo Ren and I am not an Empress.’

Silence.

‘Then you have seen more than I ever could.’

‘It will take time, but this marriage might be a chance to end the war.’ Rey smiled broadly now at the suspect.

Leia wasn’t quite as optimistic but seemed intrigued.  
‘You would sacrifice your own freedom and change sides for the time it takes to bring back Ben Solo.’ It was like she had seen it in Rey’s eyes.

‘I will bring him back or die trying. And once I succeeded there will be no more sides. I spent my entire life searching for a reason to live, Leia. You know that. If bringing peace to the galaxy isn’t one, I don’t know what is.’ It sounded ridiculous when said like that, but Rey trusted Leia to see her serious intentions.

‘Do you love him then?’  
‘I love the man he is when he’s not Kylo Ren.’  
'That makes two of us.'  
Leia deflated slightly. She was highly concentrated, to see the benefits of this plan at all costs.

‘Apart from your charming smile and determination to put on an act, what could possibly convince Ben that it is time for peace?’

Rey leaned forward.

‘Our child.’


	9. Chapter 9

Kylo Ren’s steps echoed through the hallway. He walked fast and his facial expression alone made the servants in his path duck away quickly. His light saber helped making a point. The red blade was a reminder of the Emperor’s temper.  
The weapon lay heavy in his palm and it felt good. He wanted answers.

Opening the door to his chambers with more force than necessary he saw Rey looking out the window.  
She turned, but he was already there.  
Pressing the laser close to her throat, Ren crowded her against the glass and the dark side in him fed on her fear.

‘Ben.’, she whispered barely audible.  
‘Don’t.’ He shook his head. ‘Do not call me that. You don’t deserve to use that name.’  
Rey struggled but his weight alone kept her in place.  
‘What did you do? Are you not my wife? Did you not swear to be on my side?’  
Her eyes widened. The light shone in them. He saw himself. His rage.

‘I saved your life. All of our lives.’ She searched his face for a sign of gratefulness. There was none. ‘The Resistance would have destroyed this city. Your mo-. General Organa said so herself.’  
‘You made a deal with the enemy! Like a common traitor, you walked onto that ship just one day after getting into a position of power! Through my own trusting hands! We could have easily defeated them!’ He spat.

Rey narrowed her eyes and tried to push Ren away through the Force.  
Her attempt was blocked. Her chin pushed back instead, throat laid bare like for surrender.  
‘General Hux. He says you humiliated him in front of his staff and introduced yourself as ‘Rey Solo’ to the rebels. By which you humiliated me…Rey from nowhere.’  
Rey willed the tears pricking in her eyes back into her body. She did not succeed.

‘My Lord.’ She tried. ‘I swear by the maker’s grace that my only intend was to save your life. General Hux told me you had planned to lead the hunters yourself. Do you not think that my affection towards you was indeed true and just? That it was good to tell someone as powerful as Leia who I am now? Not only do I finally have a full name, but it is Solo. A name that stands for one thing and that is impact.’  
Ren lowered the blade enough for Rey to look at him.

‘Tell me, then.’ He said almost calm. ‘What did you tell her that had the ships retreating so quickly?’

‘The truth.’ She smiled. ‘What happened. That you chose me. But most importantly, that Ben Solo is a man who I think could become a decent man and loving father. I said that I would go this way because it means purpose and hope.’

He considered her. The anger was still there but something else lingered beneath the surface and threatened to take control. The darkness in him flickered lightly under the events of the last days. Ren knew that he could never injure her. And now he had the confirmation that Rey was even accepting her place.  
He threw the saber to the side but did not let her go.

In retrospect, it was impossible to say how it happened, but within moments arousal had taken over and his cock thrust merciless into her cunt. Ren lifted her effortlessly and pushed Rey up against the panorama window. There was hunger in her eyes. Maybe she liked the pain, tight hole still aching from last night. Her shout was penetrating him equally as he plunged into her.

‘You told her that you want my child.’  
Rey’s body rippled, but she did not resist or struggle. Instead she grabbed his throat with one hand while massaging her swelling clit with the other. She laughed, taking another gulp of air instead of answering.

Ren laughed back. Baring his teeth challenging. Still in his pilot gear, sweat mixed with a faint smell of motor oil.  
‘Take it.’

He was held at bay by Rey’s grip. The tight clench of her inner walls felt like an affirmative.  
Gasping he gripped her hips.  
‘Bouncing on your Lord’s fat tool. Purpose indeed.’

She squeezed his neck in warning, but Ren felt her racing heart speed up and breathing hitch before she came around his cock and banged her head against the glass in the shudder of ecstasy.  
Her convulsing insides milked him properly before they both dropped to the ground to catch their breath.

 

He found back to his senses first.  
The Emperor lifted Rey off the ground and put her to bed before turning to leave.  
‘As a punishment and reminder who you are now, you are not leaving these chambers until you are carrying my heir.’  
\---

After the high came the crashing low for Rey.  
She realized that Ben had been serious when she tried to exit the room. It was locked.  
The guards outside asked if she was alright but did not let her pass.  
Knocking them out to run would only lead to her being dragged back eventually.  
Maybe it was her own fault. Telling an unstable man nothing but the truth could lead to captivity. She had learned that as a child before she could read or write.

What followed were many days in which Rey only left the chambers for a turn on the balcony.  
Ben slept next to her and took every opportunity to fuck her hard and unforgiving.  
Sometimes he came in during the day, already on the edge. Some days he came twice, or she did not see him at all.  
She enjoyed his attention and his cock more than she would have admitted.

After a week, Rey stopped bothering with undergarments. Simply because her life was now less predictable than on Jakku.

After fourteen days she was allowed to call Ben by his given name again.  
During that night he woke her from a dream.  
‘Rey.’  
His whisper startled Rey and she turned to stare at him.  
‘What?’ She asked breathless and was about to sit up.  
He held her back.

‘Don’t tell me you woke me for sex.’  
Was he blushing?

‘No!’ Hissed Ben quickly. ‘I was just thinking, what if my child hates me?’ He smoothed both palms over his face. ‘I’m lying awake, Rey. Because that might be the scariest thing left in this universe.’  
Rey needed a moment to adjust to such a serious topic right after waking up.

‘Why do you fear that?’  
‘Because I cannot shape a child who dislikes me without breaking them.’  
‘Oh.’ Rey was sobered. Apparently the emperor in him never slept. ‘Well, I cannot help you with that.’ She said coldly.

She turned around to go to sleep when she felt Ben shifting to lay against her back. He wrapped one arm around her middle.  
Rey felt safe. But more than that, she felt how torn Ben was again. The façade crumbling, showing her nothing but an insecure young man who did not want to fail at this major challenge.

‘Children can tell good from bad.’ She said sleepily. ‘You have a good heart.’  
\---

Rey woke to an empty bed. It was already bright day outside.

Something beeped.

She stood to search for the source of the sound. It came from the balcony.  
Greeted by a cool breeze, Rey stepped outside to inspect the weird beeping object laying on the marble floor.  
It was a drone. A small black drone, rocket powered and used by the Resistance to send messages in times of crises when other ways of communication were shut down.  
Her heart started pounding against her ribs as she realized that it carried a small capsule.

Rey took the drone inside and removed the capsule. It stopped beeping.  
Relieved she hurried to hide it well.  
The capsule was not empty. She opened it to find a piece of fine mesh that someone had written on by hand.

 

"We managed to have an informant of the Resistance find out your exact location to send you this letter. He must stay anonymous.  
I sensed an awakening. My senses regarding the Force are sharp and trained. If you did not to this point, sit down and meditate.  
Whoever this individual is might threaten our ceasefire. They must be incredibly strong with the Force. Ben will sense it, too.  
This is meant to be a warning.

May the Force be with you.  
\- Leia."

 

Rey tore the letter into tiny pieces before throwing it out into the morning wind. No one could ever find it, or she would be doomed.  
Ben would likely not return until late afternoon, but if this letter had actually been written and sent by Leia, she had to take action immediately.

She sat down with crossed legs and closed her eyes.  
Getting her pulse down took a lot of effort.  
Meditating was even more challenging. But she managed to get into a sense of calm where only the Force was present in her mind.  
She sensed the cold of the floor, the warmth of her blood. The darkness behind closed lids and the light of the sun. Everything had its balance.  
She sensed Ben. He was never really gone. His power was still astounding to her. Raw and untamed in a way that she hadn’t know from the Skywalker twins.  
It seemed like he was closing in on her mind. They were one once again and Rey hoped he would not try to see her current thoughts.  
Ben seemed distressed and retreated quickly from their connection.  
Confused, Rey searched for something that might cause Ben to feel this way. 

And then she felt it.

Her eyes flew open.

Ben burst through the door.  
‘Rey! There has been an awakening. Until I know more, I want you to leave the palace and move to a small, hidden place. Guards will accompany you. Whoever it is… Rey.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Not even Luke Skywalker radiates such power.’ Ben seemed genuinely shaken.

Rey stood slowly and closed the door.  
‘I felt it too.’ She said with a calming voice.

‘Then how can you be this unfazed?’ 

‘Because a Solo means impact. That’s just how it is.’ She shrugged and smiled.

‘I don’t understand.’ Ben clenched his fists.  
Rey carefully took both hands and looked at him.

‘I am pregnant.’


	10. Chapter 10

Ben stared at her for a long moment during which Rey began to wonder if he had heard her words.

Both hands gripped hers tightly.  
His voice sounded alien when he spoke. Only a soft whisper in the air between them, while his eyes were huge, gaze dropping to her abdomen in a desperate search for evidence.  
‘You are pregnant.’ Ben breathed.  
Rey squeezed his fingers, unshed tears fogging her view.

‘Yes.’ She sniffled laughing at his face full of wonder.  
Suddenly he seemed to lose ten years of age. Insecurity in the way he shuffled. He chewed on his lip and didn’t seem to know how to express himself. He avoided her gaze, so she carefully leaned in to find his and give him a winning smile.

‘A tiny you, Ben. You are going to be a da.’  
Ben inhaled shakily and started crying. He embraced Rey and held on to her like he feared to collapse. His sobbing was right by her ear as he pressed his face into the crook of her neck. It sounded heart-wrenching and she felt overwhelmed. His tears and snot soaked the fabric. She hummed low and steady. They anchored each other. Rey smoothed a palm over his back and swallowed the big lump in her throat.

‘You once told me that I shouldn’t be afraid because you felt it, too.’ She managed. ‘And now I’m telling you the same. You will be fine. We will be fine Ben. Don’t be afraid.’  
He stilled after a while and mumbled into her skin.

‘I never had to care about anyone and now there are two humans in one body that I have to keep safe. I’m terrified, Rey.’  
Rey parted them slowly and took his face in her hands. It was red and wet and absolutely perfect.

‘I know you will do a very good job. You are the bravest, most loyal man I know. And I mean the man that’s inside here.’ She caressed the linen over his heart. ‘Not the monster they told you to become.’

She leaned in and softly brushed her lips over his. They tasted salty. Ben cupped her jaw and deepened the kiss. Her mouth opened at the stroke of his thumb and they tasted each other agonizingly in depth and slowly. He suckled at her bottom lip as if trying to draw blood. Trying to truly consume her. Eventually they parted. Breathing the same air still. Hot breath met hot skin as Ben spoke.  
‘I love you, Rey. I love you so much I don’t know what to do. I’ve never…’

Rey rested her cheek against his.

‘Me neither. But I love you, too.’

He froze and leaned back to look at her.  
‘You do?’

She flushed even deeper and nodded.  
‘I wasn’t sure if it was love at first, because I have never loved anybody. But I realized that I do not want to live in a world without you. When I heard that you went to lead the manoeuvre against the Resistance I.’ she blinked fast and struggled to contain herself enough to continue. ‘In that moment I realized that the man out there preparing his TIE fighter was all that mattered to me. I would’ve taken ten bullets from Leia’s blaster going on that cruiser, had it saved you.’

'Thank you.'

He only managed a shy smile. Their confession too fragile and fresh to risk it by not being careful.

‘My only thought going out there had been that I cannot let you die in the ruins of a world I dragged you into. I was determined to kill Leia if needed.’ He looked at his hands now. They had somehow ended up crouching on the floor. Too overwhelmed to stand up straight. 

His jaw worked and his muscles moved under the tight uniform.  
‘Not even three weeks and you… We.’ He struggled. ‘I have little experience with pregnancies, obviously. But it all went so fast…’ 

‘I have a theory.’ Said Rey. ‘I reckon that the Force might’ve encouraged it. Just like our bond and this bizarre way of married life.’  
Ben smirked and it made her heart ache.

‘You think the Force wants to see us as parents?’  
She nodded.  
‘Balance. That’s what this is about. Peace. The Force encourages balance, doesn’t it?’

His features hardened the slightest bit and she feared he would fall back into the mind-set of an Emperor.

‘Peace is a big word for times like these.’

‘It is in your hands, Ben. Do you not want to see our child grow up in a safer world than we did?’

He thought about it and stared at nothing.  
‘Here.’ Rey took his hand and got rid of the glove before putting it lightly on her stomach. 

He drifted off, concentrating on the presence below her heart.  
Rey met his mind and they both lingered by the small, powerful being inside Rey.  
She saw Ben’s mind light up as if to bring light to the darkness of something invisible. Longing to see with the eyes the Force provided. And with that he reached for the bundle of sheer Force and seemed to caress it hesitantly with warm thoughts and mild words. The amount of affection flooding her whole system made Rey feel heady. Ben was not someone who dealt with feelings easily, but in that moment she knew that every last bit of love he had to offer was being poured over this small life. The same love she felt when he held her, just so much gentler and intense in the way it waved over both of them.

‘I will protect you.’ 

She saw his lips move like in silent prayer.

He slowly came back to her. Glazed eyes lingered on their touching hands. Perhaps this was what catharsis felt like.

‘We have a few moons to talk about this.’ She started. ‘But I just want you to know that Leia would perhaps be a better grandmother to our child than she was mother to you. Maybe…’ she searched for words. ‘Leia would keep up the ceasefire to see her grandchild. At least until it is old enough to be your heir and next Emperor.’ It sounded wrong, but Rey knew that she had to be careful not to push her luck.

‘Maybe.’ Said Ben and looked out of the window.

 

Suddenly there were steps on the balcony.  
They both rose to their feet and Ben’s hand was on his saber the moment they saw him.

Luke.

Rey felt shock stiffen her body, whereas Ben activated the crimson blade in a hunched, predatory posture.

‘Ben!’ She yelled. But his eyes were burning meeting Luke’s as the man entered through the glass door.

‘Hello, nephew.’ Greeted the Jedi. ‘Rey! What a surprise! I came to-‘

Ben was on him the moment he so much as walked in Rey’s direction.

A blue blade that was rather familiar to Rey met the red one and both blades kissed with hissing energy, steaming from the sheer force with which both men tried to keep the other at bay. 

‘There has been an awakening!’ Shouted Luke over the sound.

Rey was paralyzed and knew she could not de-escalate the situation by explaining things. There was no way she would be able to enter Luke’s mind. She had no weapon suitable in a light saber duel and could only hope that the maker had mercy just one more time.

‘We know that!’ Bellowed Ben. ‘Get off my planet you poisonous false priest!’  
‘Is it your child?’  
Ben roared and attacked. The laser cut strands of Luke’s hair before being blocked. ‘Is the new presence your child, Ben?’

The younger man spun around and threw a white sheet from the bed at Luke to cover his next move. The blade was barely hidden by the flimsy material, but Ben had enough time to spin and kick Luke square in the chest.  
A vase tumbled to the floor and broke next to Luke’s strained face.  
Ben towered over him and pushed the blade straight through his chest.

Nothing happened.  
Luke was still very much alive. So he did it again.  
His uncle caught his breath enough to cock an eyebrow.

‘Did you learn nothing about Force projections, nephew?’  
Ben’s boot pressed him to the floor, yet the saber could not harm him.  
He was too surprised to come up with a clever remark, so Luke continued.

‘You’ve put a baby inside her, kid.’ He glanced at Rey, who stared back. ‘A very strong one, too. The last time that happened in our family, everything went tits up from there.’ He patted Ben’s boot still on his chest. ‘Try to consider that before going on your next killing spree.’ 

Luke’s body faded slowly and Ben’s foot landed on the ground.


	11. Chapter 11

Ben woke up in the pitch-black bedroom.

The Force hammered inside him like an aching tooth. The bed was empty. Rey was not by his side, yet he knew that something even worse was causing that feeling of utter emptiness.  
Barely able to process it all, Ben poured the water from his bedside table over his head. It helped enough for him to focus on finding his clothes and leaving the chambers.  
He staggered into the hallway.

Two guards watched in disbelief as their dripping wet Emperor asked a small service droid for the whereabouts of General Hux. He then nodded almost absently and made his way to the control room in just his meditation gown.

Hux eyes widened when he saw Ben enter.  
‘Sir?’ he asked hesitantly.  
Ben gripped Hux’s biceps and looked at him through wet strands of hair. His husky voice was like a blade at the other man’s throat.  
‘What happened?’  
‘Pardon?’  
‘Where is she?’ huffed Ben like he was one dumb answer away from killing Hux.  
‘I assume you mean your wife.’ The ginger narrowed his eyes in disgust. ‘You will be pleased to hear that she did not share my bed. I’m afraid I have no idea where she is, Sir.’

The general seemed to expect punishment, but the Emperor struggled not to collapse.  
‘I think someone died tonight.’  
‘Who? The girl?’  
‘If Rey were dead, I would not stand here.’

He slicked back his hair and felt droplets trickle down his spine.  
‘Either my mother or somebody similarly Force-sensitive. Otherwise I wouldn’t feel this emptiness in my core.’

Armitage Hux had lived through many hard days as a general under Snoke. His new, barely dressed commander, wet and obviously in a delirium… That was still much harder to handle than all of them combined. Ben saw it in the way his shoulders slumped and he just gave up.

‘I have to find her.’ Said he. ‘No new orders until I return.’  
Ben could make out the exact moment in which the general imagined his death and himself as the new Supreme Leader. He didn’t have to slip into Hux’s mind for that. His fragile loyalty would end precisely with Kylo Ren’s last breath.  
‘I promise you, should you act against my commands, an army of hundreds of loyal troopers, men and women will slaughter you before you can rest your bony ass on Snoke’s throne.’

He gave the man’s shoulder a sarcastic pat and positively ran towards the next exit.

Rey.  
His bold claim that Rey was alive felt stupid when he realized that he had never experienced the death of a loved person who was Force-sensitive and connected to him through such a strong bond.

 

Back in his chambers Ben felt his way through the emptiness in his mind to reach for Rey’s.  
The glow of her blindingly bright light was faint. Far away. But not impossible to connect to.

‘Rey!’ It sounded like a plea.  
He felt a fraction of Rey’s consciousness open up to him. Enough for one signal.  
‘No.’  
‘Where are you?’  
‘Safe.’  
‘Are you alright?’  
‘Hurt.’  
‘WHO HURT YOU?’ His mind went blank with panic, shock and anger. He had to recollect himself to softly get back to Rey.

Her mind did not let him in again.  
Ben was certain that he possessed the skills to break the barriers. He just knew that she would never trust him again if he ever violated her in such a manner.

Ignoring the panic once again, he made a decision. 

For the sake of Rey’s safety he had to break silence with Leia for the first time in almost two decades.

‘Oh masters and makers give me strength.’ It was also the first prayer in decades.  
Ben knelt down in order to waste less energy on steadying himself.

There was a lecture as old as the Jedi: No matter who you are and how damaged your heart, the bond to the woman who gave you life cannot be broken. For she is your true light. The beacon that leads the way for the Force, to shelter you in her place.

 

‘Mother.’ Ben breathed. He tasted something salty. Either sweat or tears. It did not matter.  
‘Mother!’ He shouted into the darkness. He knew she was there. The path was simply overgrown from years of neglect.  
Suddenly he felt warmth radiate from within himself. And then she was near.  
‘Ben.’ Was that her voice? So much older than he remembered?  
‘Mother?’  
‘You still sound grumpy saying that.’ Oh yes, it was definitely her. He heard only his heartbeat. Blood rushing in his ears.  
‘I need your help.’  
‘I will not give you any information to stabilize your power over billions of innocent people.’  
Ben wanted to scream in frustration, and she felt it.  
‘What do you need?’  
‘Rey.’ He wasn’t even being dramatic admitting that.  
‘Oh.’  
‘She’s gone.’  
‘I can see why.’  
‘I promised her to become a better man!’

‘Ben…’ She seemed to force herself to continue. ‘You killed Luke.’  
‘What?!’  
‘At least that’s what she thinks. I presume you felt it, too. The sudden lack of…presence.’  
Ben gaped. Leia sounded tired.

‘The Force projections he *occasionally* uses to try to safe his nephew, they consume a lot of energy when produced from across the galaxy…’ There was a hint of reproach in her exhausted voice. She likely hadn’t slept in days. ‘Plus the light saber attacks that went straight through his chest…Hologram or not. They had some impact.’

‘How do you know all that?’

‘He spoke to me before he…left. I guess it is speak-to-Leia-week in the Skywalker family.’ 

Ben had missed her ability to crack a snarky joke even in the middle of deep crisis.

‘Rey had felt it when Luke died. She managed to contact me. I told her where to go if she needed a place to think and get away from you.’  
Ben said nothing for half an eternity and focussed on breathing instead.

‘Let me get this right.’ He mumbled eventually, massaging his aching temples. Leia’s presence started to make him feel dizzy. ‘Luke essentially gave his life up, so Rey thought I was responsible and you helped her escape.’

‘Luke sacrificed an immense amount of strength to visit you. I can’t even begin to imagine what one has to be willing to give to have a physical saber duel in a different solar system just through his mind. Also, don’t forget the part in which your precious heir escaped, too.’

‘Of course you know about that as well.’  
‘Rey told me herself. I had only felt the awakening of something.’ 

‘Where is she, mother?’  
Leia let him hanging for a while.

‘She is at a friend’s place. She is safe and coming to terms with the fact that the father of her child played a role in killing the last jedi.’  
Ben shuddered. He hated himself for making Rey run. She was so much more than just his wife. She was all that mattered.

‘Please.’ Ben wiped his face. ‘I have never loved anyone. But I do love her.’

All of the sudden Leia was right there. A clear image in his head. And she saw him, too.

She saw his scar running from nose to neck, the huge teary eyes and strands of damp, black hair clinging to pale features.  
Leia’s heart broke audible.  
Ben’s ears were filled with a horrified sob of a mother who realized that she was partially guilty of creating a monster. An utterly broken, pitiful one. Only held together by rage and the faint hope that there might be love for him after all.

They stared at each other. 

Leia eventually pressed her lips together and came closer. Ben almost wanted to reach out.  
‘I’m sorry, Ben. I know your father couldn’t say it, but I can at least try. I’m sorry for all of it. I know I can never fix you, or help you get on your feet again. But she probably can.’ Leia raised her brows and a tiny smirk crept back onto her lips.  
‘I will tell you where she is, but I want you to promise me something in return.’  
‘Anything.’  
‘Make her your priority in the future.’  
\---

Ben found the address in one of Coruscant’s suburbs.  
It was a small club house with red walls and narrows windows. Not nearly as futuristic as Coruscant’s usual architecture. 

He wore a long woollen coat over casual trousers and a simple linen shirt. Disguising was impossible as the Emperor. Dressing down was not.

 

Inside, the tall man with dark clothes and a big scar expected to stick out like a sore thumb.  
But he didn't.  
The Red Widow happened to be the busiest night club of the Resistance. The entire ground floor was packed with all kinds of species trying to get laid.  
A bartender with eight arms mixed eight cocktails behind a cramped bar. A dozen of prostitutes sat chatting with potential customers and the dance floor vibrated with bass-heavy beats.

Ben felt out of place.

A huge furry alien with broad shoulders came up to him. It looked like someone responsible for security, thought Ben.

‘What are you looking for tonight?’ said the beast.  
‘A girl.’  
‘Oh, we sure have plenty of those just take a-‘  
‘No! A particular one…Err. Her name is Rey and she is actually pretty well known on Coruscant…Like me.’  
Ben was unsure how to proceed and quite surprised. Apparently this place was like an island of isolation where no one knew about the new empire. 

The beast just looked at him wide eyed.

‘Leia sends me.’ He cringed at his own words. His desperation had led him to a dirty bordello of the Resistance. Worse even, his own mother had send him here.  
The beast’s features were impossible to read but it turned around and Ben followed.

They reached a room in the back with a heavy metal door. Ben felt alone and overwhelmed after the alien had left.  
He knocked cautiously.

The door was closed. Faint music waved over from the club.

‘Rey?’ Why did his voice sound so tiny?  
‘YOU!’ Ben jumped at the loud voice from inside.

‘Please. I’m half dead, I worried that much.’ He clenched his fists. ‘What…? Why…I don’t- What are you doing in such a place, Rey?’

‘Did Leia tell you?’

‘Yes. I contacted her. It was the hardest thing I have ever done.’  
Rey laughed maniacally at that.

‘You can even make a rescue mission about your own hardship!’

‘That’s not-‘ he stopped himself.

‘Do you know what I realized when you stabbed your uncle twice just to prove that you’re a big boy who can fight?’  
Ben braced himself for more insults.  
‘I realized that I married a child, unable to stick to basic rules of this world. You are so brainwashed that you were unable speak to Luke. You call yourself an emperor but you’re not even capable of managing your own behaviour. How will I know that you’ll never threaten me or our child, when you attack your former mentor and then sink to bed blissfully?’ It was a rhetorical question.

‘Luke Skywalker tried to kill me in my sleep when I was his student. Had I not woken up in the exact right moment… I never wanted to tell you because you think so highly of him.’  
Rey said nothing.

‘I can show you all my memories of that night if you don’t believe me. They’re some of the most vivid ones I have.’

‘Maybe he had his reasons.’ 

Ben was hurt.

‘There has always been darkness in me, yes. But so has light. He wanted to kill me because he was afraid of something that wasn’t there. Snoke recruited me after I had fallen from the Jedi’s grace. ’

‘Why did you hold onto so much hate for him then? You have everything. Power, wealth and a mother who loves you after years of war and killing your own father. So much that she gave away my location! You didn’t protect me. You endangered me and the little one.’

Now it was Ben’s turn to stand in silence. He was incapable of explaining his complex emotions through a thick metal door.

‘I wasn’t lying when I said I love you, Ben.’ Her voice was softer now.

‘I know.’

‘But have you contemplated that I would love you just as much if you were nobody?’

Ben had not.

‘Has it ever occurred to you that power means nothing to me?’ He heard her touching the rough surface of the door. ‘If you had been a scavenger cleaning junk on the stool next to me, I would’ve fallen for you just as fast. I would’ve counted your freckles, maybe. And the supervisor would’ve hissed at me for getting distracted.’  
Ben could feel the hot sun of Jakku burning his skin as she spoke. It was like he was there. In her dreams.  
‘I would’ve invited you over I think. Because you would’ve been pretty skinny from all the hard work and small portions. We probably would’ve shared our portions of the day.’ She stopped to gather her thoughts. Her voice was shaky. ‘And one day, I would’ve asked you to move into my AT-AT with me and be the father of my children. All of it without any knowledge of the Force.’

 

Silence.

 

‘Please, Rey.’ Ben closed his eyes. ‘Please open that door and count my freckles.’


	12. Chapter 12

The small room without windows was cramped with liquor and other supplies for the bar.  
There was a plank bed shoved against one of the walls.  
Ben’s eyes adjusted slowly to the dim light.  
He saw the silhouette of Rey’s body and her glistering eyes. Cautiously he sneaked into the room, expecting Rey to change her mind at any moment. 

The door fell shut and they stood in the shadows like strangers. Ben was unsure how to approach her, even though he wanted nothing more than to kiss her passionately until she was breathing air from his own lungs. He came to a halt in front of Rey.

‘You don’t have any.’ She said.  
Ben was still focussed on actually being close to her again, on her eyes, her lips and the way they moved.  
‘What?’  
‘Freckles. There are none.’  
He blushed.  
‘Well, when I’m out in the sun I tend to get them. Quite a lot actually. You should’ve seen me as a child.’

Rey reached out and stroked down the long bridge of his nose. It was still sensitive after she had broken it. But her touch was so soft. She stroked further down his cupids bow and reached his lips. Ben took her hand and kissed every fingertip.

‘How are you?’  
She gave him a weak smile.  
‘Much better.’  
‘How is…?’ His gaze dropped, he hesitated to touch her belly.  
‘It is pulsing stronger now. Maybe it recognizes our reunion.’  
A heavy weight was lifted off of Ben in an instant. He still held her hand like a token.  
‘Were you planning on staying inside this prison?’  
‘The Resistance offered to pick me up. This whole place is run by them.’  
‘You would’ve left me just like that?’  
‘To safe both our lives?’ She gestured at her middle. ‘Yes.’  
Ben looked down in defeat. 

‘Come back to me, Rey.’  
‘To Ben or the Emperor Kylo Ren?’

Ben smoothed both palms over his face in frustration.  
‘What should I do? I cannot give it all up like that. The vision. The prophecy. I spent my whole life trying to get here. What do you want me to do? Blow up the only world I know? I know you do. Rey, we talked about-‘

‘Sit down. I want you to sit on that bed.’  
‘What-?’

She shoved him backwards with little effort and he landed on his ass. The bed was hard and creaked under his weight.  
The next thing he saw was Rey kneeling between his legs, looking back up at him.  
His brows shot up.

‘Rey…’  
‘You came all this way to reclaim your wife. No. Your bitch.’  
‘Rey! You’re not-‘  
‘Shh.’ She held an index fingers to her lips and smirked. ‘No one has ever come back for me.’  
Realization settled in.  
‘And this is a whorehouse after all.’

Ben felt his thighs trembling. Partly in shock, partly anticipation. He was getting hard embarrassingly fast. Rey leaned forward and mouthed at his crotch tenderly, yet with a primal form of want.

‘Let me taste your cock.’  
Ben’s eyes fell shut. He fumbled with his trousers and even his own touch sent shivers down his spine now.  
‘Here.’ He breathed, hoping she would look up. Did he deserve this?

She audibly sucked in her own saliva.  
‘Is your mouth watering at the sight of my dick?’ He asked shakily.  
‘Mhmm.’  
He pressed his palms together like in silent prayer, burying his nose between them as if to control his shallow breath.

The first touch of her lips almost had him passing out. She suckled at the tip like it was a sweet treat and she wanted to savour the taste.  
‘So good.’ He mumbled. ‘Does that taste good?’

She answered by massaging the vein on the underside with her tongue. Her teeth barely touched the tender skin. He was too wide for them not to. Ben cursed and rested his head against the wall.  
Her saliva mixed with his precome. She swallowed thickly.  
His cock stirred at that and she used her hand to steady the shaft.  
Ben fisted his own hair in agony.  
Rey popped the glans out of her mouth and he felt her drool smear along his shaft as she leaned in to nip at his balls.  
He yelped.

‘I’ll come if you do that again!’ Ben sounded pained.  
Her cheeks were flushed and spit dripped down her chin. She seemed proud.

‘How do you want to come?’  
‘Take it in as wide as you can and suck hard.’  
She did. Once was enough.  
His hips bucked forward and shoved a good portion of his cock down her throat. She gaged and it sent him crashing over the edge and into a million pieces. He blanked out and his load flooded her. She slurped and swallowed like it was just another reflex.

‘Come here.’ He positively pulled her up by a fistful of hair and their lips collided in a dirty, sloppy kiss. Ben tasted his semen. He licked her lips clean and she let out a beautiful gasp at that. Rey suckled at the tip of his tongue like she had done earlier and smirked. A growl escaped him before he too cracked a smile, still full of adrenaline.  
Kissing down her jaw and throat he held her tight and eventually leaned forward to lower her on the bed. He pulled her legs up and crawled fully onto the mattress.

‘Tell me to stop.’ Came his husky baritone.  
She shook her head and bit her lip with a grin. So Ben nudged her thighs further apart and pushed up the loose gown.

He gasped and shot her a look.  
‘No underwear! Rey…’  
She let out a giggle and put one forearm over her eyes.

‘I don’t need any since you decided any time is the right time to try for an heir.’  
‘Oh and wasn’t I successful…’  
He caressed her abdomen and it rippled at the touch. A small string of slick slowly trickled out of Rey. It didn’t go unnoticed.  
Ben caught the droplet and pushed it back into her with his thumb. He was on eyelevel with her aching hole.

‘Let me taste your cunt.’ He whispered and didn’t wait for an answer.  
Ben kissed her clit and she keened at that. Thighs shaking. His hair tickled the soft skin as he pressed in further to push his tongue past her slick lips.  
She was breathing hard and he triumphed. More of her juices for him to savour. With one hand he held onto her stuttering hips, the other one rubbed her clit at a frantic pace while his tongue beat her insides.

A slapping sound echoed in the small room. Rey groaned. Her walls gave way and the space widened in anticipation of more. A cock to fill her with another baby. He felt her tighten then, clit getting harder under his touch and she came. His tongue was embraced by her channel and she arched her back, legs crossed over his. Ben drank her in and anchored her to the bed.  
Sight and taste were delicious indeed.

He came up to find her staring at the ceiling while panting hard, like she had just woken from an exciting dream.  
Ben’s smile was so broad it hurt. He kissed the open mouth softly, breathing new life into her.

‘Thank you.’ He whispered.  
‘Thank you.’  
He pulled her close and they laid in the dark.

 

Rey’s voice was by his ear after a while.  
‘Let’s go and dance.’  
Ben turned to her.  
‘What? Here?’  
‘Yes.’ There was a spark in her eyes. ‘No one will harm you as long as we’re together.’  
Harm him. He couldn’t help but laugh.  
She sat up and pulled him with her.

 

Some time had passed, which was why the dance floor was even more crowded.  
Rey took Ben’s hand and the wave of colliding bodies swallowed them. Rey moved smoothly and waited for him to join her.

‘Do Jedi dance?’ He shouted over the music.  
‘I’m no Jedi!’ She yelled back. ‘Do Sith not dance?’

The words escaped her before she could think.  
She stopped moving instantly and stared at him in shock at her own words.

Ben tasted his answer carefully before he leaned down to reply into her ear.  
‘I don’t know what Sith do! Ben Solo, nice to meet you! My mother recommended this shithole to me!'

Rey burst out laughing. She felt drunk. Ben cracking jokes about his mother and brothels. Was this real life?  
He laughed as well. It was a free and unfiltered laugh she had not seen on him before. Rey wanted to marry him once more. But this time, with him laughing like that.

She danced up on him. His hips followed her movement easily.  
The realization, that this killer and brutal duel partner could dance, made her sweat.  
Ben gripped her waist and they fell into a fast, hard rhythm. Perfectly in sink. She reached up to grab his neck. They laid flush against each other when the bass dropped and she spun around to get low and up again under his burning gaze.  
They had some eyes on them. A group had gathered, hollering and cheering to celebrate their every move.  
Once again they were the centre of attention somewhere on Coruscant, but this time, they both enjoyed the reason for it.

Suddenly someone touched Rey’s shoulder. The girl turned around and looked right back at one of Leia’s carriers, whom she knew briefly.  
‘We are ready to take you to General Organa now, Miss.’ He said into her ear.

Her heart sank.  
Their fans had stopped paying attention, luckily.  
‘Give me a moment, please!’ She yelled and took Ben by the hand to get him somewhere quieter.

‘What is it?’ He asked still slightly out of breath.  
His hair was messy from sex and other forms of grinding on the dance floor.

‘I told you they offered to take me to Leia…Well, they're ready to take me there. Now.’  
He narrowed his eyes.  
‘I’m not leaving you. Don’t worry!” She added quickly. ‘I have a plan.’  
‘What’s that?’  
‘You are coming with me.’

Ben blinked down at her like he was hoping that this was not it.  
‘Pardon?’

Rey sighed and massaged her aching forehead.

‘Let me ask you this, Ben Solo.’ She looked at him pointedly. ‘Right now. Do you want to go back?’


	13. Chapter 13

Ben sat by one of the shuttle’s windows and stared into the seemingly endless orbit of Coruscant. They were taking up speed quickly.  
The handcuffs were not comfortable, but the humiliation was what really hurt.

Rey sat opposite to him and kneaded her palms nervously.  
‘I am so sorry they insisted on restraints.’ Her voice was barely audible.  
He said nothing.

‘But I’m beyond happy that you agreed on coming with me.’  
A deep inhale. More silence.

She reached for his folded hands, but stopped mid-air.  
Back in the club, Ben had just given a tense nod as an answer. No emotion. No indication of his thoughts. It was more of a silent sacrifice he had decided to make. Leia’s carriers had been in absolute shock, when Rey begged them to take Ben aboard. The scene that followed, included Ben fighting off four scared men who tried to pack him up like a bundle. Only through Rey’s interference, they managed to agree on handcuffs.

‘I am doing this for you.’ He told the window. From the corner of his eye, he saw Rey’s head jerking up. ‘Not for Leia. Not for peace, or the Empire.’  
‘You made the right choice.’  
‘It wasn’t a choice. It was the only option.’  
‘You could’ve gone back to the palace and indulge in power and the venom of the monster that is Kylo Ren. But you didn’t.’

He turned to face her.  
‘What do you think will happen the moment I enter Leia’s cruiser?’ He asked angrily. ‘What do you think they see in me?’

‘My husband!’

‘Now you’re just acting stupid, Rey!’ Ben stared at her in disbelief. ‘They see me as their arch enemy who killed the last Jedi and impregnated their rising star. I represent everything FN-2187 ran away from!’ He was trying very hard to regain composure, seeing Rey’s hurt expression.  
‘They will likely try to kill me.’ He added much calmer.

‘No! Leia would never allow that. You’re still her son.’

‘Not everybody in the Resistance has high moral standards like you and Leia is no god.’

Rey swallowed audibly and leaned forward to finally get hold of his hands.  
‘They see me as a former scavenger who tried to save the galaxy and failed. They see me as the girl who was stupid enough to give fate a chance.’ She nodded at him. ‘They know that we are coming and will see, that I’m not bringing them their arch enemy, but Princess Leia’s lost son.’

Ben wanted to scream. He was scared. For the first time in years, he allowed the fear to flood his system like a drug.  
‘I’m still the head of the First Order. Millions bow before us.’  
Rey squeezed his fingers softly.

‘Maybe the time has come to let the past die.’  
\---- The cruiser lingered in the outer rim like a saviour of lost souls. Sheltering those who had come this far.  
Ben felt self-conscious about his unimpressive outer appearance. He looked like a common thief, handcuffed and in cheap woollen clothes. His saber was with one of the carriers. Everything, even his life, was now in the hands of the Resistance.

Rey was by his side as they entered the ship. The long gateway behind the airlock was empty. One of the men shoved them forward, before heading back to their shuttle.  
‘They’re not coming with us.’ Said Rey confused.  
‘They don’t want to get in trouble for bringing me into the heart of the rebellion.’  
Very carefully, Rey sneaked her hand between his elbow and torso. They linked arms like an old couple. 

Behind the second airlock, there stood Leia.

Later, Ben would say that it was an emotional moment. But no description could ever do his actual feelings justice.  
His mouth opened and he heard his inhales loud as thunder. Rey was shaking. Their Force bond a mixture of both their helplessness.  
Leia wore a white robe. Her hair was held in one long, complex braid. She watched from a distance. Nobody moved.  
She was also alone. Ben had expected an army of soldiers.

Suddenly, the metal of his handcuffs started to vibrate, before they fell open and to the ground.  
Leia lowered two extended fingers and gave a nod.  
‘Come. If you want to.’

Ben looked at Rey, who already started moving towards her. He followed and felt like a part of him had left his body.  
When they came to a halt in front of his mother, they studied each other in awe. Eventually, Leia turned to Rey and kissed her cheek with a smile. It was the saddest and yet most loving smile Ben had ever seen.

‘Well, where do you start?’ Something like shyness flashed over her features. ‘Where do you start after so much time?’  
Neither Ben nor Rey dared to breathe.  
Leia noticed and Ben saw an answer in her wet eyes.  
‘Welcome home.’

The ground beneath Ben seemed to suck him in, he was thankful when Rey spoke.  
‘Leia.’ She choked. ‘Thank you for seeing us.’

‘I even put on a dress for this… absolutely unbelievable occasion.’ She looked down over herself.

‘You look beautiful.’ Ben spluttered.  
Rey stirred. Leia looked back up. Ben wanted to staple his mouth shut.

‘Thank you very much.’ She smiled one of her genuine, small smiles. ‘I can only return that compliment.’  
There it was, that moment Ben had feared from the start. Leia’s words of all-consuming love. Right now, she looked at him like she had looked at Han Solo. Reaching beneath the surface to admire with the eyes of a mother.

‘I did not expect to get the chance to actually talk to you.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Given the circumstances, I was expecting many people pointing their blasters at me.’

‘Against the vote, I had the whole cruiser cleared. We are alone.’ She turned to walk and signalled them to follow. Ben shot Rey a surprised look.

‘They thought I was starting to get senile for awaiting the great Kylo Ren alone and unarmed.’ She said sarcastically over her shoulder. ‘I told them that said Kylo Ren used to drink from my bosom and sleep in my arms and I will handle people who slept in my arms on my own.’

Rey sniffled. Ben didn’t quite know what to reply, so he stayed quiet, trying to conceal his embarrassment.

 

The room they entered was the one Rey and Leia had talked in, the day after her marriage.  
Another long pause followed in which Leia poured tea into three cups.

‘So.’ She started, trying another small smile. ‘What are we going to do?’  
‘That’s what I wanted to ask you.’ Admitted Rey.  
‘Why are you here?’ She asked.  
‘I wanted you to see that I am well and handling my new situation. Initially I wanted to flee from Ben’s… anger. But that won’t be necessary.’  
‘Really?’ She seemed unconvinced and turned to her son. ‘Then why are you here?’  
Ben tensed visibly, suddenly feeling unwelcome again.

‘I am here because I kept my promise to you.’ He looked down at his hands. ‘I made Rey my priority.’  
The two women were stunned for a second.

‘Rey, my love?’ Leia asked softly. ‘Would you mind if I shared a few words with my son alone?’  
Rey was already on her feet.  
‘Of course not.’ She grabbed her tea and hurried to leave, glad to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere.

Some of Ben’s tension left the room with Rey.

‘How are you, Ben? How are you, really?’ Her eyes searched for honesty.  
His answer came prompt.  
‘I’m scared to death.’  
‘I suspected that after our recent connection through the bond.’

She took a small sip from her cup.  
‘Don’t you want to know how I am?’  
‘You don’t trust me.’  
‘Not completely, no.’ She nodded. ‘Apart from that, I am concerned that you will put Rey back into her gilded cage and fall into the dark again.’  
‘I never escaped the darkness.’  
‘Oh, shut up.’ She waved dismissively. ‘The fact that we are in the same room right now is proof enough that you did.’  
‘I came here for her.’  
‘Exactly.’  
He carefully nipped at the tea. It was the same type he knew from his childhood.

‘The fact that we are talking, Ben.’ She touched his arm. ‘You came here in handcuffs’ She leaned back again. ‘That was very brave. And very dangerous for me.’  
‘What?’  
‘It gave me new hope, Ben.’  
‘What do you hope?’

‘I hope that you’ll turn your back on the Order and continue to have Rey as your priority.’  
The tea suddenly tasted bitter.

‘I am the Order.’  
‘No, you were Snoke’s slave. But not any longer. I thought Ben Solo were gone. But it turns out, no one is ever truly gone…’

They both let it all sink in.

‘Consider this, as well: Coruscant City is no place to raise your child. The burden of being your heir and immensely strong with the Force could mean a hard life on any planet. But Coruscant will definitely suck the life from this innocent, poor thing.’

Ben knew. He was desperate.

‘What can I do? I cannot just leave the planet and my old life to raise our child.’  
Leia thought about it.

‘Do you remember Maz Kanata?’

Ben furrowed his brows.  
‘The humanoid from Takodana who saved father multiple times through her connections.’

‘Yes.’ Leia’s face lit and she smiled broadly. ‘I lived with her for some time. I helped rebuilding the castle with Chewie and some others.’  
‘What about her?’ He was confused.

Leia hesitated.  
‘Could you see Rey living there for a while? To get away from that awful city.’  
Ben wanted to protest. He didn’t want to be separated from Rey another day in his life.  
Leia stopped him.

‘She could use peace and quiet and an actual living being taking care of her. Nothing against droids, but when morning sickness and pain kick in, I would prefer a breathing, female friend by my side.’ She leaned in to see if he understood and smirked. ‘Maz is one of my oldest friends. She will protect Rey with everything the Force has to offer.’

‘But what about me?’

‘You will work on sorting your other priorities out and we will talk again once you’re ready for a cut. I will convince the admiralty that it is time for change, or die trying. Ackbar has great influence amongst the others and I know that he will stand with me on this. By the time we negotiated how to proceed, you can return to Rey and bring your family home.’

‘Peace.’ He whispered.  
‘It’s a beautiful word, right?’

Ben nodded slowly, staring into the distance.


	14. Chapter 14

Rey entered their assigned cabin on the shuttle. She huffed and threw herself face forward onto the bed.

‘Careful!’ Hissed Ben behind her. He didn’t like the idea of such impact on Rey’s belly.  
Her voice was muffled by a pillow.  
‘I can’t believe you’re sending me to another planet!’  
The mattress dipped under Ben’s weight as he sat down.  
‘I will accompany you, give you into Maz’s care and work on the fate of the Empire, so we can be together again as soon as possible.’  
She turned her head to look at him. 

‘That’s a terrible plan and Leia knows it. Yet, she suggests it without breaking a sweat.’  
Ben chewed on his bottom lip.  
‘Do you trust Maz?’  
‘With my life.’ Came her reply, fast like blaster fire.  
‘Well?’  
‘But I trust you more.’ Rey’s eyes were wet and she reached for the hem of his shirt like a woman drowning. ‘I need you more!’

He smiled and leaned down to tickle her with his hair. His father always tickled baby Ben with strands of his fringe to make him giggle.  
It worked just as fine with his girl, noticed Ben. Rey chuckled at the sensation and closed her eyes with a crinkled nose.  
‘I will feed on those words until we see each other again.’ He said softly. ‘The fact that you trust and need me…I will never get used to that.’  
‘We need you.’ Corrected Rey and pressed a kiss to his pout.

Ben took her into his arms. Like back in the forest, only gentler and with no intention to do anything other than kiss her.  
She put one arm around his shoulders and rested her cheek against his chest.  
‘Your heart.’  
‘Mhm?’  
Rey’s eyes were wide, one ear pressed to the thin wool.  
‘Your heart seems to beat so much slower than mine…’ She listened highly concentrated, like a scientist making a discovery.  
‘The bigger the organ, the slower the beat. I used to read a lot about anatomy during my time at the temple.’ He caressed the side of her head. ‘A Happabore’s heart only beats about 22 times per minute.’

‘I bet Snoke had no heartbeat because there was just a black hole where the heart should’ve been.’  
Ben stilled.  
‘I’m sorry.’ She whispered. Looking at Ben, she seemed miserable. ‘Your heart really is quite big…I don’t mean the organ, I mean your metaphorical heart.’  
He felt himself blush and cursed his pale features.  
‘Well, I’m still new to the idea of having one.’

Rey’s face crumbled within a second. Tears filled her big, beautiful eyes and soaked the wool drop by drop, her hands were fisted in the fabric, she trembled, sobbing.  
‘No, no, no. Shhhh.’ Ben felt helpless once again. He cradled her and used his shirt to wipe off the tears, just to see more following. Her face screamed with all the pain of the last weeks as she kissed him desperately. Their bond rippled with the flood of emotions.  
‘It’s okay.’ He breathed into her mouth. ‘You saved me, Rey. I’m okay. We’re safe.’  
‘Your past. They nearly killed you and stripped you off every positive thought. How can you be sure?’ She whimpered.

‘Because.’ His lashes fluttered over her temple like butterfly kisses. ‘I will kill my past.’ Ben inhaled the scent of her skin, trying to memorize it. Lock it in the part of his mind, dedicated to Rey alone. ‘I will kill one more time and the victim is going to be Kylo Ren, his poisoned life and everything in it.’ 

Something inside Rey jolted at that. She realized that the life inside her grew with every step they took towards true unity and balance. With Kylo Ren’s death, their child would live.  
Ben stared at her abdomen. The movement flashed through the bond like a lightning.  
His large palm covered a good portion of Rey’s, already softer, middle. She swallowed the last tears and gave him a smile. Ben leaned down and moved the garment enough to kiss her skin. Twitching in surprise, goose bumps spread under his touch. He stopped.

‘No, please.’ Rey traced the shell of his ear. ‘Do it again. The wee one likes it, too.’  
So he did. Ben was overwhelmed with the need to claim and care and protect. It were their mutual feelings, multiplied through the Force connection.  
His heated gaze found hers.

‘Please.’ Eyes begged more than words. ‘Let me do this properly.’  
Wordlessly Rey removed her shirt. Ben watched while tossing his own clothes aside. Her pants followed and they looked at each other with the fascination from their first night together. She seemed to bathe in this new level of admiration, while Ben noticed the subtle changes in her body like unknown roads on a familiar map.

His erection was not subtle at all. Heavy and with urgency it rose against hot flesh.  
She gasped softly as he sucked at the skin over her heart while stroking down the curve of a slightly rounder ass, dimpling under his grip. A dark bruise blossomed where his lips lingered.  
‘Will you still find me attractive, once I’m heavy with child?’  
‘You will only get more intoxicating.’  
Rey wasn’t capable of replying. Ben tasted one nipple with a testing flick of his tongue. She was wet, hot and needy.  
‘Your breasts are growing to nurture life. It’s a miracle, really.’  
His fingers found a generous amount of her juices coating cunt and upper thighs.  
‘Please.’ It was her turn to beg. ‘I’ve never needed you so badly.’  
The crimson head of his cock nudged sloppily against her pussy. Urgency and arousal made it hard to navigate. She lifted her legs like in rigidity of tolerance to give him full access.  
The first thrust took them both by surprise. Harsh, quaking, needy. Suddenly their hearts seemed like one heart. His pulse deep in her, hers all around him.  
‘Don’t you forget.’ He thrust again. ‘What it feels like.’ Her legs jerked with the next one. ‘To be as close as this.’  
‘Show me.’ She squeezed around his length, eyes shut tightly.  
The slapping of his heavy sack against her ass became fast and merciless. Rey had no doubt that, if physically possible, he would shove his balls into her as well.  
She rubbed her clit, while the other hand was fisted in dark hair she needed to savour the texture of. 

For the first time since their wedding, Ben was vocal about his pleasure. Gasping and moaning against her sweaty skin. Every movement of Rey was answered with his want, oozing from every pore. Life-affirming and unmuted. 

He was chasing his orgasm already, she felt it in the way his cock stirred and his muscles tensed in anticipation.  
‘Oh maker.’ She mumbled under her breath, meeting his desperate thrusts. ‘Give me something to remember. Give me everything.’

He growled in approval. Clasping her frame to his body, she could meet him with all her weight and feel him in her bones. She started to shiver.  
‘I’m-‘ Eyes flying open, Ben shoved her down so she came fully impaled on him, his thick glans brushing against the cervix, convulsing around his release. He cursed by her ear and his bucking hips only stilled when Rey did. She was crying again, but this time from pleasure. Limps shaking they waited for Ben to soften. It took longer. Their bodies were on edge. There was a desire that an orgasm could never still.

\----

They woke from a voice outside their door.  
‘We will soon arrive on Takodana.’  
Ben cracked an eye open and cleared his throat.  
‘Thank you. We’re on our way.’

Rey moved on top of him and he didn’t want to go anywhere.  
‘Your morning voice is enough to get me ready again.’ She yawned.  
The deep rumble he gave vibrated in both of them.

 

Sometime later, they stepped into the sun of Takodana. A humid wave of air was the first to welcome them. The second was Maz Kanata, waiting by the end of the shuttle ramp.  
Her small button eyes were focused on Ben Solo.  
Slowly getting used to female leaders waiting for him at the end of his path, Ben stepped forward with more confidence than last time.  
Rey came to a halt next to him and greeted the small lady.

‘Maz! I’m so happy to see you.’ Rey bowed slightly to smile directly at her.  
‘Rey, my sweet girl!’ Maz yelled in her usual, excited manner and reached up to pinch her cheek.

‘Last time we saw you, this man carried you up a ramp and now you’re walking down with him! And a pup under your heart!’ She adjusted the huge glasses to focus on Ben. ‘When Leia told me what happened, I thought she had too much herbal tea! Peace, hu?’  
Ben gave a nervous half-smile.

‘First time I heard of you Ben, you were a heartbeat hologram in Han Solo’s pocket! Last time I saw you, you blew away my property in a half-arsed Vader costume! I’m glad you parted with that unflattering mask!’ She braced both hands on her hips and marched towards him. ‘I have to say, I’m not sure what to think of all this. You can be thankful for your mother’s good name!’

‘I’m completely with you on that, Maz.’ Ben raised his palms in mock-surrender.  
There it was. His unfiltered smile, Rey had first seen in the night club. She suddenly felt very relieved.

‘If you get any ideas about damaging my belongings again, I will personally kick your butt! Now let’s get you both a drink.’

 

Maz’s bar was packed with customers, as if the attack of the First Order had never happened. 

‘Geno!’ The humanoid yelled at the bar keeper. ‘Something non-threatening for the mother-to-be and two Skull Crushers for the young master Solo and me!’  
Ben swallowed audibly.

The music and chatter died at his family name, like a magic spell had been spoken.  
‘Oh crap, sorry.’ Mumbled Maz.

She turned quickly to control the situation.  
‘Ladies, gentlemen, forms of life!’ She raised her hands and hopped onto a bar stool to be seen. ‘Today we have the opportunity to be the first group of beings, hearing about the plans for the galaxy!’ She looked around. ‘Everyone knows Leia…The Leia!’ 

Some affirmatives from the audience.

Rey stood to interfere.  
‘I am her daughter-in-law, Rey Solo.’

Stunned silence. 

‘Some may know stories about Rey the stupid scavenger, who tried to become a Jedi.’

Laughter.

‘I am no Jedi. But I’m going to be a mother.’ She looked at Ben. ‘And Maz is kind enough to let me stay here until…’ She licked her lips. ‘Until the father of my child can be with me again.’ Ben sent a wave of thankfulness and encouragement through their bond. ‘He will do everything to fix the damage and pain the First Order inflicted and enter negotiations of a truly new order with the Resistance. Right…Ben?’ She signalled him to stand up.

Ben stood awkwardly and most of the audience shrunk into their seats.

‘Right.’ He coughed. ‘You have likely never seen my face, yet you all guessed who I am.’ It was dead silent. ‘If one of you would shoot me, I would understand. But before you do, please know, that it is Ben Solo who will die. The monster with the mask didn’t bring his wife here. And it is Ben Solo who wants to see his family thrive in a peaceful home. Like all of you.’ He looked into uncertain faces. ‘I can give you nothing apart from my word and the word of my mother, that it is our serious endeavour to make way for a new era of peace. My pregnant wife will be a symbol and reminder for you, until the day of our success.’ 

Ben remembered to breathe again and sat down.  
The silence stretched like gum. Maz was the first to move.

‘Band!’ The band members scrambled to pick up their instruments. ‘Play Mad About Me!’

Music played and drinks were served. 

Slowly, the young master Solo let go of his hidden saber and 

dared to simply be Ben.


	15. Chapter 15

‘Ben...‘ She refused to let go of his hand and it hurt like a laser strike. ‘Ben.’ He squeezed her fingers once more while turning slowly. Mostly to hide his trembling jaw.  
Maz had stayed inside. They all had. He and Rey were alone in this, their little universe of goodbyes.

‘I'll return as soon as politics will allow.’ He said calmer than he felt. ‘I promised a packed bar, my mother, Maz and you.’  
‘Can I-?’ She hesitated  
‘What?’ Ben stopped and looked at her again.  
‘Can I keep your cape?’  
He dropped his gaze smiling, shaking his head.

‘It makes sense. Last time I gave it to you, you had a very good time by yourself.’ Unclasping the brooch, he watched her turn bright red.  
Rey hugged it tightly.

‘It’s comforting!’ She tried.  
Ben embraced her once more.  
‘Better than this?’  
Her voice was muffled by his torso.  
‘No.’

They continued to stare at each other for a while after that.  
‘We will communicate through the bond every day. I promise.’ How often Ben had said it in the last days.

‘I don’t want you to leave because it means the birth is coming closer and closer. I don’t even-‘ She gestured ‘Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?’ The question sounded desperate like it would answer all her burning questions at once.  
Ben contemplated it.  
‘It’ll be perfect. That’s all I know.’

‘What if it’s physically weak, or not as clever? You know that the Force isn’t a guarantee for inner and outer perfection, do you?’  
He grimaced. It pained him that Rey still thought of him as shallow.  
‘Look at us, Rey.’ He bowed to be on eyelevel with her. ‘The parents of this baby are far from flawless.’ He touched his scar. ‘So of course, there will be imperfections. But I will never look at our child and think of it in such a way. And you won’t either.’  
Rey nodded and closed the distance between them. Those inches would stretch to lightyears soon. The kiss was needy yet sweet. Short, even though it felt endless.

Ben waved until the ramp closed and braced himself for his task ahead.

***

Eight month and fifteen days after leaving Takodana, Ben’s Repulsorpod hovered towards the centre of the senate meeting hall. Next to him stood his mother, hands folded, eyes forward.  
The senate was a new group of representatives in a renovated location full of history.  
Ben tried not to show Leia how nervous he felt, having thousands of eyes on him. The microphone droid swung towards him and everyone waited for them to speak.

‘Today.’ He tried to focus on keeping his voice steady and calm. ‘We are honoured to open the first senate meeting of the Federal Intergalactic Republic.’ Applause. ‘I told Senator Organa that it was my wish for both of us to speak. But she insisted that this was a Solo part.’  
Laughter.  
‘During the last months, the word peace and failure were often used in the same sentence and on many planets, people lost their lives in an attempt to prevent changes.’ He looked at Leia. ‘One of them was my own former General. But many were common workers and loyal soldiers who stood by the Empire.’ Hux’s severed head flashed before Ben’s inner eyes and he took a small sip of water to swallow the rotten taste in his mouth. ‘The new federal structure shall give our peoples hope. Hope that the dead will be honoured within the culture of their own world. Each planet has their own government for a reason. That is individuality and balance of power.’ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Nobody in this galaxy.’ He swallowed. ‘Shall ever get the chance to become as powerful as Kylo Ren.’ Thundering applause. Leia put a hand on his and gave him a proud smile. ‘We negotiated long enough for all of us to embrace the new voting system and ministers for each party. There is nothing more to be said.’ Applause. ‘Which only leaves one last thing for me to say and that is, thank you.’ He raised his arms as if to reach out to each one of them. ‘Thank you for voting against my death sentence and standing strong against the sympathisers of the Empire. Thank you for choosing a new beginning and allowing new life to grow. I will take a break from representative tasks for the next few months and say goodbye. May the Force be with you.’ 

The Repulsorpod hovered back to its place and Ben emptied the glass of water in two big gulps. The next senator spoke.

‘That was a very refreshing speech.’ Leia couldn’t hide her amusement.  
‘Will the fear that someone might try to slit my throat ever fade?’ 

Leia thought about it.  
‘I honestly don’t know. But it might, once your actions have proven to the very last person that you changed and you’ve fully accepted your new role as Senator Solo.’  
He sighed.  
‘I was hoping you’d say something like ‘try light colours and get a haircut.’’  
‘Black suits you.’  
‘Thanks.’

Suddenly something ripped through Ben like a claw. Excruciating pain. Deep inside him.  
He ground his teeth, hunched over, trying not to scream.  
‘Rey.’ He pressed out.  
Leia stared at him in shock. She felt his pain with less intensity but the same emotions.  
‘What is it?’  
‘Rey is in pain!’ His eyes searched for answers in Leia’s wrinkled face. She understood.

‘I think it is time for you to get back to Takodana. I will take care of getting everything else.’  
‘What is happening to her?’  
‘She is having your child, you dense toffee!’  
Ben stood on autopilot. It seemed like he had forgotten how to walk for a moment. Rey’s pain was a constant ache in the back of his head. For the first time since they’d met, Ben shut her out of his mind to be able to function. He staggered towards the hangar.

 

The Millennium Falcon greeted him, polished and majestic as ever. The plan was to allow it to retire. But for representative occasions, like the first meeting of a new senate, it had been too tempting not to dwell in the memory of Han Solo for his mother.  
Thinking about his father’s profession, he imagined him racing towards the ship to get to a heavily pregnant Leia. And with that came a wave of calm and quiet over Ben.

He sat down in the pilot seat and started the engines.  
‘You’ve done this kind of a flight before. Don’t let me down.’  
Relief flooded his system as he finally took off.  
Rey sensed that Ben was coming. Her own relief mixed with their pain. 

Ben thought of the hours and hours they had spent in the embrace of their Force bond during the past months. Talking, crying, laughing or simply sharing a quiet moment.  
The war had reached a new peak, as Hux had been determined to claim the former position of Kylo Ren. Eventually, Ben had taken his life for it, gaining the trust of some influential politicians and members of the rebellion. Leia had organized the biggest round table meeting in known history. It had taken two and a half standard months to come to an agreement. At the end of it, Ben walked out as a senator.

Above everything else hung the concern for his little family. The way Rey’s large belly felt under the fingertips of his mind. The mirth in Rey’s eyes whenever she talked about her days with Maz…  
Those months had shown him, what it meant to feel alive. They were both the hardest and most beautiful.  
***

Takodana glimmered under a hot morning sun. The air full of rainforest noises.  
Ben had no eyes or ears for it, as he positively ran to the little medical centre of the oasis.

It was a sterile tube-like building with a few busy droids and even fewer nurses hurrying through the corridor.  
When one of the women spotted Ben, her eyes widened.  
‘Mr…Senator Solo?’  
His head turned around in alarm.

‘Yes! That’s me.’ He felt sick. ‘Can I see my wife, please? Is she… The birth-?’ Rey’s pain had ebbed eventually, but Ben had gotten no response to his attempts to connect to her after that.  
The nurse’s face lit and she took him by the arm.

‘Come. She is asleep now. It all went incredibly fast. We were only expecting it in two weeks.’  
‘I know.’ He said absently, staggering along beside her. 

‘She wanted to wait for you, but the little one had other plans.’ She shrugged with a grin.  
They stopped in front of a door and the woman’s voice dropped to a whisper.  
‘I will give you all the details later. Go see your daughter. Congratulations, Senator.’  
‘It’s a daught-?’  
She was already gone.

Ben took a deep breath and then another one. He already felt tears in his eyes. Hand trembling, he carefully opened the door.

The room was not as clinical and cold as the rest of the centre. Walls and windows had flora and fauna of Takodana painted on them. The light was indirect and low. In the middle of the room stood a large bed and a tiny one that looked like an incubator.

Rey laid under a light green blanked and was sound asleep. Some strands of hair clung to her forehead.  
Ben rushed to caress her but stopped in his tracks as his gaze landed on the tiny human beside her.  
He let out a gasp and braced himself on the edge of the bed before turning to get closer.

Nothing he had ever felt in his life compared to the feeling of seeing his child for the first time.

The little girl slept just like her mother. She was rosy and had soft, dark hair. Next to her head laid the folded hood of his cape.  
He leaned over the crib and wiped his eyes.

‘Hello.’ His voice was cracking.  
‘Hello.’  
His head shot up.  
Rey yawned and gave him a blinding smile.  
Ben was kissing her before she could say anything else.

‘I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier.’ He whispered, still sniffling.  
‘It’s alright. It was a bit of a surprise to all of us. Maz was here. But then I fell asleep, apparently.’  
‘How are you?’  
‘I’m a mess, but everyone tells me that’s normal.’ She leaned over to the crib. ‘Would you like to hold her?’  
Ben stared at Rey.

‘It’s okay.’ She sounded amused and nodded encouragingly. ‘Just pick her up and support the head.’  
‘I’ve never…Everything I touch-‘  
‘Hey.’ She took his fingers. ‘None of that. You touched me plenty and I’m better than ever.’

Slowly, Ben stood and reached into the incubator.  
Now it was Rey’s turn to weep. She was so small compared to her dad. A tiny bundle against a broad chest in black linen.

Ben gazed at her with such fascination, he seemed to stop blinking.  
‘She’s so light.’ Came his voice.

Rey let out a relieved giggle.  
‘Didn’t feel so light during the last weeks.’

Ben didn’t hear it, because in that moment, the little girl woke and their bond erupted with a wave of affection.  
‘She?’ Ben asked irritated.  
‘She probably senses that her da is here.’ Suggested Rey. ‘Our connection changes when we’re together. Then there’s your voice and your proximity-’

‘She’s looking at me, Rey.’ He interrupted, almost hissing.  
Her eyes were dark brown and huge. She mustered him. Ben was relieved that she didn’t start crying immediately.  
‘Ben, meet our little button of a girl. Button, meet your da.’

He couldn’t fathom that this was real and they had made this.  
‘What should we name her?’ He asked, not looking away, sitting down on the bed.  
Rey wanted to remember that moment forever.

‘I like Dawn.’ Said Ben. ‘Her mummy is Rey. Like a ray of sunshine that fell into this world and my life. But she is like dawn. Dawn of a better time. Making everything new.’  
‘That’s beautiful, Ben.’ Said Rey and caressed her cheek.  
‘Dawn Solo.’


	16. Epilogue

They called him Old Ben, because his name was Ben and he was old.  
He used to be a Senator or something, it did not matter. All that mattered was, that his wife was the best storyteller on Takodana.

The group of children hurried to the entrance of Ben’s Bar to get a place close to Miss Solo’s spot.  
She always gathered her audience in a circle and started talking about the days of the Resistance and the Empire, the legend of Darth Vader and ice foxes of Crait.

‘Hello, Old Ben!’ Yelling and running, the audience members entered and stopped at the bar to get their free drinks.  
‘Hello, everybody. Careful. This lemonade is made with dragon blood.’  


Laughter.  
‘Nah. You’re kidding!’ Shouted one of them.  
  
‘Am I now?’  
‘Just like you were the last Emperor, right?’  
The children giggled, downing the red liquid.  
Ben sighed and shrugged.  
‘You’re just getting too clever for me. Now go listen to your story.’

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate every single one of my readers and am very flattered by the positive feedback so far.  
> Every comment is super appreciated, especially since this is my first story for the Star Wars/Reylo fandom.
> 
> Visit my Tumblr for updates on fics and more:
> 
> theanisplanet.tumblr.com


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